🚫 To remove license need ❌ To revoke license

to delicense

1 8.1

To remove the legal need for a permit so an activity or business no longer needs official permission

verb
/dɪˈlaɪsəns/

Formal

: desregular

Why did the city delicense the taxi services?

Examples

The government decided to delicense certain industries to encourage more competition.
After the law passed, small businesses were delicensed and no longer needed special permits.
The proposal aims to delicense street performers, making it easier for them to work legally.
The government plans to delicense certain low-risk professions.
The government plans to delicense certain medical practices to streamline regulations.
After the review, they decided to delicense the outdated requirement for the software industry.
The council voted to delicense street performers, allowing them to showcase their talents without permits.

Synonyms

to deregulate

vsto delicense

22 5.8

To remove rules that the government makes for an industry or market

is limited to removing only the permission requirement for an activity

to decontrol

vsto delicense

Formal

1 7.6

To remove official rules or limits set by a government

focuses specifically on ending the permission requirement rather than changing all controls

Antonyms

to license

23 3.4

To give official permission to do something after checking qualifications

Surface Forms

delicense infinitive

delicensed past

delicensed past participle

delicensing present participle

delicenses third person singular

Morphology

delicense = license (semi-transparent) = de + license

The prefix suggests reversal or removal, but learners may not readily infer the policy sense 'remove the requirement for licensing' rather than simply 'take away a license.'

Etymology

Delicense comes from the prefix de- meaning 'remove' and license meaning 'official permission'. So this sense of delicense is to 'remove the legal need for a license', letting an activity or business operate without a permit.