green light

noun

: authority or permission to proceed
green-light transitive verb

Examples of green light in a Sentence

we were given the green light to use the town commons for our fund-raiser
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.
In the wake of Mr. Trump’s win, seen by some settler groups as giving them a green light, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared 2025 as a year for annexation. Fatima Abdulkarim, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov. 2024 Pennsylvania's state House has passed legislation that would give cryptocurrency an unambiguous green light in the Keystone State, if the Senate concurs. Brady Dale, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 Norris led a gaggle of cars off the line while Verstappen was part of a separate group that waited for green lights to go out before a second formation lap. Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 Some downtown buildings are getting a jumpstart on Black Friday window displays and turning on their rooftop red and green lights. Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for green light 

Word History

Etymology

from the green traffic light which signals permission to proceed

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of green light was in 1937

Dictionary Entries Near green light

Cite this Entry

“Green light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green%20light. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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