French word

permis

Pronunciation

IPA/pɛʁmi/

Meaning

  • masculine noundriver's license

Example

Elle a obtenu son permis hier.

She got her driver's license yesterday.

Illustration for permis (driver's license)

More examples

Le policier a confisqué son permis.

The police officer confiscated his driving license.

Core concept

A green light for an action, often embodied in an official card or paper.

Common phrases

  • permis de conduire

    driving license

  • obtenir son permis

    obtain one's driving license

  • permis à points

    points-based driving license

Similar words

permission: Casual permission given verbally by a person or under a local rule.
autorisation: Formal permission granted by an authority through an official process.
licence: An official license or certificate qualifying someone for a specific job or activity.

Definition in French

Désigne l'autorisation donnée à quelqu'un pour faire quelque chose, ou le document qui atteste cette autorisation.

Word origin

French permis comes from the past participle of permettre, inherited through Old French from Latin permittere, meaning 'to allow'.

Usage tips

  • The noun is masculine: le permis, as in le permis de conduire for a driving licence.

Other meanings

  • permissionnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • permissionpermissionnoun
  • permissifpermissiveadjective

Word lists with this word