permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive pər-ˈmi-siv 

1

archaic : granted on sufferance : tolerated

2

a

: granting or tending to grant permission : tolerant

b

: deficient in firmness or control : indulgent, lax

3

: allowing discretion : optional

reduced the permissive retirement age from 65 to 62

4

: supporting growth or genetic replication (as of a virus)

permissive host cells

permissively adverb

permissiveness noun

Examples of permissive in a Sentence

Some states have more permissive laws than others.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Israel and the United States have a far more permissive interpretation of what constitutes direct participation in hostilities. —Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2024

Some of those challenges in the months ahead of Election Day failed, leaving in place permissive absentee voting and ballot counting laws in key swing states. —Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Nov. 2024

All parents show up as authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved, or authoritative at different times, depending on the situation and on what’s unfolding in their own lives. —Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2024

Until at least about the mid-1940s, this more permissive culture created a more tolerant climate, at least seasonally, for LGBTQ people, especially those who were white. —Julio Capó Jr. / Made By History, TIME, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English permyssyf, from Middle French permissif, from Latin permissus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive pər-ˈmis-iv 

1

: granting or tending to grant permission : allowing

2

: not forbidden : allowable

permissively adverb

permissiveness noun

Medical Definition

permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive pər-ˈmis-iv 

: supporting growth or genetic replication (as of a virus)

permissive temperatures

permissive monkey cells

Legal Definition

permissive

adjective

per·​mis·​sive

1

: based on or having permission

permissive occupancy

a permissive user of the vehicle

2

: granting permission or discretion (as to the court)

a permissive statute

3

: not compulsory: as

a

: allowed or made under a standard, rule, or provision that permits discretion or an option see also permissive intervention at intervention, permissive presumption at presumption compare compulsory

b

: allowed under modern rules of civil procedure although not arising from the same transaction or occurrence as the one at issue in the original claim

a permissive counterclaim

see also permissive joinder at joinder

permissively adverb

permissiveness noun