licence
/ˈlaɪsəns/( <美> license)
noun
1- a permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade (especially in alcoholic liquor)执照, 许可证, 特许证, 营业执照（尤指经营酒类的执照）：
a gun licence
持枪许可证
as modifier a television licence fee.电视执照费。
1.1
- mass noun formal or official permission to do something（官方或正式的）许可, 准许：
a subsidiary company continued to manufacture cranes under licence from a Norwegian firm.
一家子公司从挪威一家公司获准继续生产起重机。
1.2
- mass noun a writer's or artist's freedom to deviate from fact, or from conventions such as grammar, metre, or perspective, for effect（作家或艺术家追求效果时在语法、韵律或透视感等方面的）不拘一格, 偏离常规：
artistic licence.
艺术上的不拘一格。
1.3
- mass noun freedom to behave as one wishes, especially in a way which results in excessive or unacceptable behaviour自由行动权（尤指恣意妄为）：
the government was criticized for giving the army too much licence.
政府被指责放任军队恣意妄为。
1.4
a licence to do something
a reason or excuse to do something wrong or excessive（做错事的）诱因, 借口：police say that the lenient sentence is a licence to assault.
警方说从轻发落是人身侵害的诱因。
短语
licence to print money
- a very lucrative commercial activity, typically one perceived as requiring little effort（尤指不费力的）赚大钱的生意。
词源
late Middle English: via Old French from Latin licentia 'freedom， licentiousness' （in medieval Latin authority， permission）， from licere 'be lawful or permitted'.