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Glite Dictionary
to greenlight

to greenlight

4 4.3
To give official permission for a project, often a film or TV show, to start
  • verb
  • /ˈɡriːnlaɪt/
translation icon : dar luz verde
  • After careful consideration, the board decided to greenlight the expansion project.
  • greenlighted projects
  • greenlight a movie
  • greenlight the film

I had five projects in the first five years that were greenlit but didn't get made.

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Examples

  • I think that Apple likely greenlit this project a couple years ago when it looked like VR offered more potential.

  • I'm gonna walk off this project... - if you don't greenlight my movie.

    Entourage (2015)

  • On the contrary, you greenlight a movie when you believe the combination of script, direction, music, et al. will add up to an effective final package.

    Blog text (10)

  • It took guts to greenlight this rescue mission, and through no fault of Carter's, it failed.

    Blog text (7)

  • The film has been a huge hit overseas, grossing big bucks in various territories, apparently, so that has made Arclight Films confident in greenlighting a sequel, says Twitch.

    Blog text (22)

  • The director plans to greenlight the new film after reviewing the final script.

  • The company is ready to greenlight the innovative proposal submitted by the team.

Antonyms

to deny
423 1.6

To refuse to let someone have something

to halt
206 2.4

To stop moving or make something stop moving

Phrasal Verbs

to get the greenlight
3.5

To receive official permission to start or continue a project

How Official

to authorize
489 4.4
to greenlight
4 4.3
to approve
∞ 1.6
to endorse
183 4.2
to permit
531 1.5
to allow
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

greenlight infinitive
greenlighting present participle
greenlights third person singular
greenlit past
greenlit past participle

Morphology

greenlight = green + light (semi-transparent) = green + light

The phrase is built from clear components, but the meaning 'official permission to proceed' is a lexicalized metaphor rather than a fully literal combination.

Etymology

The word greenlight comes from the green signal on a traffic light that tells people to 'go', so to greenlight a project is to give it official permission to start.