Permit Means to Send Through
To permit is to allow. The Latin means to let go through, from the same verb as mission and transmit.
To permit is to allow. The Latin *permittere* means to let pass through, from *per*, through, and *mittere*, to send. That verb is one of the most productive in English, giving *mission*, *transmit*, *submit*, *commit*, *emit* and *promise* — all of them acts of sending something somewhere.
- To allow. *Permit entry.*
- An official document. *A parking permit.*
- Permission — the act of permitting. *Written permission.*
- Permissive — allowing freedom. *A permissive approach.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | permit | Permit access. |
| Noun | permit | A work permit. |
| Noun | permission | Formal permission. |
| Adjective | permissible | Permissible limits. |
| Related | mission | A rescue mission. |
How it is used in a sentence
- PER-mit is the noun, per-MIT the verb.Stress shift.
- Weather permitting.If conditions allow.
- Permissible and permissive differ.Allowed versus allowing.
Words from *mittere*, to send
- Permit — to let through
- Transmit — to send across
- Submit — to send under
- Emit — to send out
- Promise — to send forth a commitment
From Latin *permittere*, to let go through, from *per*, through, and *mittere*, to send.
Permissible or permissive?
Permissible means allowed. Permissive means inclined to allow, and often implies excessive leniency.
Permit or licence?
They overlap. A permit is usually temporary and specific; a licence often grants an ongoing right or qualification.