The noun license means official permission to do something that would otherwise not be allowed. When you get a driver's license, the government gives you permission to operate a car on public roads. When a doctor receives a medical license, she gains legal authority to practice medicine. Without these licenses, driving or practicing medicine would be illegal.

Licenses exist because certain activities require proven knowledge, skill, or responsibility. A fishing license ensures people follow conservation rules. A business license confirms a company meets safety standards. Your parents probably needed a marriage license before their wedding, showing the state recognized their union as legal.

The word can also mean freedom to act in a particular way. A teacher might give students license to choose their own essay topics, meaning permission to decide for themselves. Artistic license refers to a creator's freedom to change facts or rules for their work: a historical movie might take artistic license by inventing dramatic conversations that never actually happened.

As a verb, to license means to grant such permission. States license drivers after they pass required tests.

Don't confuse license with licence, which is the British spelling of the same word.