permission
- 01 A2 Elementary
the act of allowing someone to do something, often given by someone in charge.
formal or informal authorisation or consent granted by an authority figure.
Simple“You need to ask your teacher for permission before you leave the classroom.”
In context“The developer had to obtain written permission from the local council before beginning any structural work on the historic building.”
UsageUsually uncountable when referring to the abstract concept of being allowed to do something.
PitfallI asked for a permission to leave. I asked for permission to leave.In general usage, 'permission' is usually uncountable and does not take the article 'a'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
settings on a computer that decide who can see or change a file.
flags or access control lists associated with a file or system that dictate user access levels.
Simple“I cannot open the document because I do not have permission to view it.”
In context“The system administrator updated the folder permissions to ensure that only the accounting department could modify the payroll spreadsheets.”
UsageOften used in the plural ('permissions') in technical contexts.
Synonymsaccess rightsprivileges
permission vs permit — Permission is the abstract concept of being allowed to do something, while a permit is the physical document or specific legal authorization.
Usage permission before anything · planning permission
From Middle English permision, permission, permissioun, permyssion, from Middle French permission, from Latin permissiō. Equivalent to permit + -ion. Mostly replaced native English leave, from Old English lēaf (“permission”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.