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unlicenced

unlicenced

4.1
Not officially allowed by the government to sell goods or drive a vehicle
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈlaɪsənst/
  • UK
translation icon : sin licencia
  • The company was fined for operating an unlicenced taxi service.

And he'd done a lot of, well, not amateurs unlicensed fights and, you know, made a few quid for me.

Examples

  • And Bob here is a clear violation of Health Ordinance 32: Selling unlicenced extraterrestrial... ...foodstuffs.

  • And he'd done a lot of, well, not amateurs unlicensed fights and, you know, made a few quid for me.

  • He was caught selling unlicenced software online.

  • The coach was reprimanded for using unlicenced trainers during the tournament.

Synonyms

unauthorized
vsunlicenced
  • US
110 4.5

Not officially allowed to do something

emphasizes missing formal approval especially from legal authorities
unofficial
vsunlicenced
75 3.8

Not approved by the people in charge

is about lacking legal permission specifically rather than simple recognition
unlicensed
vsunlicenced
27 4.2

Does not have official permission to do something

is the alternate spelling used in some varieties of English
unregistered
vsunlicenced
25 4.8

Not recorded by an official body

refers to missing approval or permission rather than only absence of record
unsanctioned
vsunlicenced
6 7.3

Not officially allowed by the people in charge

highlights absence of formal approval particularly from government or legal bodies
unaccredited
vsunlicenced
2 7.2

Not officially approved by a government or other official body

is broader applying to lack of permission from authorities in general
uncredentialed
vsunlicenced
1 6.7

Someone who does not have the official training or papers needed for a job

is about lacking approval generally rather than missing specific certificates
nonlicensed
vsunlicenced
  • Formal
5.1

Not having official permission required by law to operate

covers lack of any official approval beyond legal requirement
non-official
vsunlicenced
4.4

Not having formal status or approval

focuses on lack of permission or approval rather than only status
nonregistered
vsunlicenced
  • Formal
5.8

Not on an official list

focuses on lack of formal permission rather than mere absence from a list

Antonyms

3.5

Allowed by an official group to do a certain job

How Authorized

accredited
  • Formal
1 4.4
certified
4 4.0
licensed
3.5
unlicenced
  • UK
4.1
unauthorized
  • US
110 4.5
illegal
1.0

Surface Forms

unlicenced positive
unlicensed positive

Morphology

unlicenced = licensed (transparent) = un + license + ed

Clear negation 'un-' applied to the adjective 'licensed' ('license' + '-ed'), producing the straightforward meaning 'not licensed'.

Etymology

The word unlicenced begins with un- meaning 'not' and the part licence means 'official permission'. So unlicenced describes a person or thing that does not have that official permission.