license

*(a) right to something and *(the) right to something

a privilege or license to have something. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) I have the right to have the kind of house I want. You have a right to any house you can afford.

See also: right

license to do something

permission, right, or justification to do something. You have no license to behave in that manner! Who granted you license to enter my house without knocking?

poetic license

liberties or license of the type taken by artists, especially poets, to violate patterns of rhyme, harmony, structure, etc. I couldn't tell whether he kept making spelling mistakes or if it was just poetic license.

See also: poetic

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be a licence to print money  (British & Australian) also be a license to print money (American)

if a company or activity is a licence to print money, it causes people to become very rich without having to make any effort These shopping channels are just a licence to print money.

See also: money, print

poetic license

the way in which writers and other artists are allowed to ignore rules or change facts in their work It's obvious the writer was using a certain amount of poetic licence because the route she mentions has been closed for 50 years.

See also: poetic