permissive

adjective

Definition of permissivenext
as in flexible
often disapproving giving people a lot of freedom or too much freedom to do what they want to do permissive parents Some states have more permissive laws than others.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of permissive Ink shows how Thatcher’s right-wing populism originated in the permissive society of the late ’60s. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026 The numbers reflect how Florida’s long history of racial discrimination and permissive gun laws undermine public health, said researchers, public officials, community activists and grieving parents. — Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Getty An island that had spent decades pairing glamour with license was perhaps the wrong place to entrust an adolescent to unusually permissive relatives. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026 Yet another study found that students at schools with restrictive phone policies did not have significantly better mental health or academic outcomes than students at more permissive schools. — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for permissive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permissive
  1. flexible
  2. informal
  3. lenient
  4. accessible
  5. lax
  6. pliable
  7. pliant
Adjective
  • Paired with on-site energy storage, SSTs could turn data centers from blunt-force loads into more flexible participants in the grid.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s flexible realism also entails recognizing the need to form bespoke coalitions of the willing to augment the United Nations and other large multilateral institutions.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of flexible
Adjective
  • Filmmaker Ava DuVernay chose Milton Rogovin’s informal, untitled portrait of a beautiful young Buffalo woman from his East Side, 1961-63 collection.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Second, the agency can issue formal or informal warning letters threatening consequences if a violation is not remedied.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of informal
Adjective
  • Some parents may be more lenient than others on the candy indulgence, but Arnaout says setting limits is important to avoid children getting stomach aches or nausea.
    — Lina Ruiz October 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier this year, the CFTC decided to scale back enforcement and shift to a more lenient voluntary self-reporting approach.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of lenient
Adjective
  • Last year, a Senatobia officer threatened a Black woman with a Taser, pulling her from her car and onto the ground and arresting her during a confrontation over an accessible parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.
    — SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • These cameras are license plate readers that in many cases create detailed portraits of Americans’ vehicle movements, accessible to police across the country without a warrant.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of accessible
Adjective
  • The California Department of Health Care Services, the state agency that licenses and oversees addiction treatment centers, has been criticized as having lax regulations governing how most private-pay rehabs can operate.
    — Ilan Shrira, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of lax
Adjective
  • The flour tortillas are Chihuahua-style, delicately flaky, but dense and pliable enough to prevent leakage.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The rug is pliable enough to fit in the washing machine, which means a pad comes in handy for keeping it stable underfoot.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of pliable
Adjective
  • The world went in, and pliant, playful interpretations flowed out.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Fernández’s theory is that Mark must have told the women the code to his safe in his pliant stupor.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of pliant

Browse Nearby Words

permissions
permissive
permissiveness
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Cite this Entry

“Permissive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permissive. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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