English Reference
adjective

permissible

adj.
US /pɝˈmɪsəbəɫ/ UK /pəmˈɪsəbəl/ per·mis·si·ble

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    allowed by a law, a rule, or an official authority.

    permitted by law, regulation, or an authoritative body; often used in legal or administrative contexts.

    Simple

    It is not permissible to use a calculator during this part of the exam.

    In context

    The court ruled that the evidence was not permissible because it had been obtained without a proper search warrant.

    Usage

    Often follows 'it is' or 'it is not' as a predicative adjective.

    forbiddenprohibitedimpermissible

Instead, in certain situations, like in the famous “trolley problem,” people frequently judge killing to be morally permissible – especially when that killing is expected to promote the well-being of others.

The Conversation· 19 Aug 2026

From Middle English permyssyble, from Old French permissible, from Medieval Latin permissibilis.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin la-med permissibilis
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated