permissive
adjective
per·mis·sive
pər-ˈmi-siv 
1
archaic
: granted on sufferance : tolerated
2
a
: granting or tending to grant permission : tolerant
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
Silicon Valley leaders, committed to upholding free speech, were overly permissive in their approach to online content, said Jason Goldman, who served as Twitter’s first vice president of product and later as chief digital officer in the Obama White House.
—
Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
The Turkish leader is also taking advantage of an exceptionally permissive international environment.
—Gonul Tol, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2025
The parenting style popularized by Millennials has received criticism from older generations who argue parents are too permissive with their children.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
In this way, democratic parenting is markedly different from both permissive parenting and authoritarian parenting.
—Miranda Rake, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for permissive
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Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
The Turkish leader is also taking advantage of an exceptionally permissive international environment.
—Gonul Tol, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2025
The parenting style popularized by Millennials has received criticism from older generations who argue parents are too permissive with their children.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
In this way, democratic parenting is markedly different from both permissive parenting and authoritarian parenting.
—Miranda Rake, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for permissive
Cite this Entry
“Permissive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permissive. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
permissive
adjective
per·mis·sive
pər-ˈmis-iv
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
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