licence out

USAGE SUMMARY

"licence out" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is usually used as a verb phrase meaning to contract out a task or service to another entity by granting them a license to use proprietary information or to perform a particular activity. For example: "The company decided to licence out their software development services to a third-party provider."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Coco Francini, the vice-president of development at Activision's studio and Skylanders producer, says: "I think that a lot of companies licence out their intellectual property, and obviously we are not doing that.

The Guardian - Tech

Is the BBC television licence out of date?

The Times

The island was served by Post Office and then British Telecoms until the mid 1980s, when the Man government put the telecoms licence out to open tender.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Realizing the technology behind the game could power simulations for paying companies, they built it into a platform that Improbable now licences out to game developers, academics and government institutions.

Forbes

The land currently used for waste disposal at the site will be converted for agricultural use when the company's licence runs out in a year.

The Guardian

"We must show these fellows our power"; that was the form of the licence taken out by every churl in spirit who wanted to let his coltish nature loose on a waiter or barber in some German hotel.

The Guardian

Lord Hall said a TV licence worked out at "just 40p a day" for the BBC's news, drama, radio and online content.

BBC

Lady Cecil, the widow of Sir Henry who has temporarily taken over his training licence, sent out one runner at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

BBC

Last August, Made TV, which has five licences, put out a memorandum to investors seeking £5m with the expectation of profitability in the second year.

The Guardian

He made the decision to produce a game in-house, rather than licencing it out to a third party as had previously been the case under the previous ten-year Activision contract.

Wikipedia

Mr Romney is trying to enforce a long-neglected 1913 state law last associated with bans on interracial marriage that denies marriage licences to out-of-state couples whose home states would outlaw their unions.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience and context when using "licence out". In more formal settings, "grant a license for" might be a preferable alternative.

Common error

Ensure you're using "licence out" (verb phrase) when referring to the act of granting a license to another party, and "license" (noun) when referring to the permit itself. For example, avoid saying "They will license out the license."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "licence out" functions primarily as a verb phrase. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English, indicating that it describes the action of granting a license to another party for a specific purpose.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "licence out" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the action of granting a license to another party. Although Ludwig AI acknowledges its validity, its occurrence is relatively rare. The phrase is most commonly found in news and media contexts and professional or business communications. When using "licence out", ensure the context is clear, specifying the subject and scope of the licensing agreement. Alternative phrases such as "grant a license for" or "out-license" may be more appropriate depending on the specific situation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

License to a third party

Specifies the recipient of the licensing agreement.

Grant a license for

Focuses on the act of granting permission for use.

Contract out licensing

Emphasizes the outsourcing of the licensing process.

Out-license

A more concise, single-word alternative.

Sub-license

Indicates a license derived from another license.

Authorize use of

Focuses on granting authorization rather than a formal license.

Permit the use of

Similar to "authorize", but slightly more formal.

Give permission to use

A more explicit and less formal way of expressing authorization.

Assign licensing rights

Highlights the transfer of rights associated with a license.

Farm out licensing

An informal way to say outsourcing licensing work.

FAQs

How to use "licence out" in a sentence?

You can use "licence out" to describe the act of granting rights or permission to another party. For example: "The company decided to "license out" their patented technology to a smaller startup."

What can I say instead of "licence out"?

You can use alternatives like "grant a license for", "license to a third party", or "out-license" depending on the context.

Is "licence out" the same as "license"?

No, "licence out" is a verb phrase describing the action of granting a license, while "license" is a noun referring to the permit or agreement itself. Be mindful of the grammatical role in your sentences.

What's the difference between "licence out" and "sub-license"?

"Licence out" generally refers to the initial act of granting a license. "Sub-license", on the other hand, is when someone who already holds a license grants a further license to someone else.