licensed

1 of 2

adjective

li·​censed ˈlī-sᵊn(t)st How to pronounce licensed (audio)
Synonyms of licensednext
: having a valid license required to engage in a particular business, occupation, or activity
licensed drivers
a licensed cosmetologist
A licensed anesthesiologist must always be in the facility, though, depending on the procedure, not necessarily in the room with the patient.—Barbara M. Swanson

licensed

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of license entry 2

Examples of licensed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
When in doubt, contact a licensed medical professional for advice. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The soundtrack topped Billboard charts that fall; Spirit Halloween instantly sold out of licensed costumes. — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 The virus is the Bundibugyo species, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment, although clinical trials are under way. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026 About 25 minutes into the consultation, a licensed physician assistant arrived, according to the warrant. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for licensed

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of licensed was circa 1632

Phrases Containing licensed

Rhymes for licensed

See All Rhymes for licensed

Browse Nearby Words

license
licensed
licensed practical nurse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Licensed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/licensed. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on licensed

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for licensed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All