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permit

To give official authorization or consent for something to happen. / To make it possible for something to occur or exist. / An official document giving someone authorization to do something.
Transitive Verb[C/U] Both
pl: permitspast: permittedpp: permitteding: permitting

The verb carries a sense of authority and boundary-setting. It is frequently used in legal, administrative, or formal contexts where a higher power grants permission. It suggests a binary state of allowed versus forbidden, often tied to rules or regulations.

As a noun, the word shifts from the act of allowing to the physical evidence of that allowance. It evokes the image of a stamped paper, a plastic card, or a digital token that serves as a key to a restricted activity or area.

Countable when referring to the physical document (a parking permit). Uncountable when referring to the general act of granting permission.

Meanings

Transitive Verb
[~ someone][doing ~]

To give official authorization or consent for something to happen.

The city does not permit smoking in public parks.

Transitive Verb
[~ something][doing ~]

To make it possible for something to occur or exist.

The new software permits users to edit videos in real time.

Noun

An official document giving someone authorization to do something.

You need a parking permit to leave your car here.

Phrasal Verbs

permit of

to allow for or make possible a particular interpretation or action

The evidence is so vague that it permits of several different interpretations.

Related Words

Last Updated: July 6, 2026Report an Error