Join Us On

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

Medical

Scrabble^®

Spanish Central

Browse Dictionary Browse Thesaurus

Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android

Dictionary

¹permit

verb per·mit \pər-ˈmit\

: to allow (something) to happen : to give permission for (something)

: to allow (someone) to do or have something

: to make something possible

per·mit·tedper·mit·ting

Full Definition of PERMIT

transitive verb

: to consent to expressly or formally <permit access to records>

: to give leave : authorize

: to make possible <the design permits easy access>

intransitive verb

: to give an opportunity : allow <if time permits>

— per·mit·tee \pər-ˌmi(t)-ˈtē, ˌpər-mi(t)-\ noun

— per·mit·ter noun

See permit defined for English-language learners

See permit defined for kids

Origin of PERMIT

Middle English permitten, from Latin permittere to let through, permit, from per- through + mittere to let go, send

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to PERMIT

Synonyms: green-light, have, allow, suffer

Antonyms: ban, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, veto

²permit

noun per·mit \ˈpər-ˌmit, pər-ˈ\

Definition of PERMIT

: a written warrant or license granted by one having authority <a gun permit>

: permission

First Known Use of PERMIT

1682

³permit

noun per·mit \ˈpər-ˌmit, pər-ˈ\

Definition of PERMIT

: either of two pompanos (Trachinotus falcatus and T. goodei) that are important game fishes of temperate to tropical waters of the western Atlantic

Origin of PERMIT

perhaps by folk etymology from Spanish palometa, a kind of pompano, from diminutive of paloma dove, from Latin palumba, palumbes — more at palomino

First Known Use: circa 1945

Other Hunting and Fishing Terms

chum, covert, creel, flense, pitfall, seine, skulk, spoor, trawl

PERMITTING Defined for Kids

¹permit

verb per·mit \pər-ˈmit\

per·mit·tedper·mit·ting

Definition of PERMIT for Kids

: to allow to happen or do : give permission

: to make possible : give an opportunity <We'll visit the museum if time permits.>

Word Root of PERMIT

The Latin word mittere, meaning “to send,” and its form missus give us the roots mit and miss. Words from the Latin mittere have something to do with sending. A missile is an object, such as a bullet, arrow, or rocket, that is sent through the air so as to hit a target. To emit is to send forth or give out. To omit, or leave out, is to send away so as to not be included. To permit, or allow, is to send something through without stopping it.