# licence to print money

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/licence-to-print-money
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A means of generating a large income with little effort.

## Examples

- That popular new app is a licence to print money.
- Since the company owns the only bridge in the city, the toll fees are essentially a licence to print money.
- The corporation secured an exclusive government contract for the software, effectively granting them a licence to print money for the next decade.

## Origin

Often attributed to Lew Grade, and notably used by Roy Thompson of Scottish Television around 1956.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.