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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Recent Examples of permissive
And those who find Georgia’s gun laws too permissive say installing weapon detectors everywhere is a form of surrender, accepting that society will be awash in guns and violence.
—
Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
And those who find Georgia's gun laws too permissive say installing weapons detectors everywhere is a form of surrender, accepting that society will be awash in guns and violence.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Unlike states that never allowed changes to gender markers, Kansas’ move is a striking reversal of its prior permissive policy.
—Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
The report also showed that regulators had allowed more than 1,400 other older injection wells to operate for decades without any limits whatsoever on injection pressures or volumes — grandfathered in from an earlier era of permissive oversight.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for permissive
Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
And those who find Georgia's gun laws too permissive say installing weapons detectors everywhere is a form of surrender, accepting that society will be awash in guns and violence.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Unlike states that never allowed changes to gender markers, Kansas’ move is a striking reversal of its prior permissive policy.
—Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
The report also showed that regulators had allowed more than 1,400 other older injection wells to operate for decades without any limits whatsoever on injection pressures or volumes — grandfathered in from an earlier era of permissive oversight.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for permissive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for permissive
Adjective
-
All rooms will have a 65-inch flat-screen television, in-room safe, a Nespresso machine, Le Labo bath amenities, flexible seating options, and floor-to-ceiling windows.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Now, the venue features a Main Stage, a Black Box Theater, a recording studio space, and flexible community areas for holding multiple simultaneous events.—
Pamela Brown,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the early 1980s, Murphy and a few associates ran an informal back channel between the United States and the Soviet Union.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
For households where one member frequently travels or serves in demanding roles, the app offers a way to pass along knowledge that might otherwise remain informal.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Others have criticized the White House for taking a vindictive approach and targeting Democratic states that may have larger Medicaid populations and more lenient eligibility requirements.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The lenient return policy is a major perk of being a member.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Developed from firsthand experience in emergency response, its mission is to make critical information, such as utility shutoffs, appliance details, and maintenance records, accessible and shareable among those who rely on it.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Kirah is an astrologer, educator, and creative consultant who is passionate about facilitating accessible astrological education and programming.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, the election itself has a more lax timeline, so Kemp could wait to schedule it until September or even November, leaving District 13 without leadership and mashing the special election up with the normal midterm election for Scott’s seat.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Immediately after the shooting, questions began to swirl over allegedly lax protocols that allowed Allen to get close to the event.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Permissive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/permissive. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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