permittent

Permittent is an adjective describing something that gives or allows permission or consent. The word is derived from the Latin verb permittere, meaning “to let go” or “to allow.” In legal and bureaucratic contexts it is used to refer to documents, regulations, or personnel who are authorized to grant approval or authorize actions. For example, a permittent official may issue a permit that authorizes the construction of a building, or a permittent policy might allow employees to work remotely on certain days.

The term appears in formal writing such as statutes, bylaws, and corporate handbooks where distinctions have to be made between those who are merely observers and those who have the authority to enact permits. In everyday usage, however, it is rarely encountered outside of institutional or archival contexts. Because it is technically a synonym for permissive, authorities sometimes prefer the simplified forms “permissive” or “authorizing.” Nevertheless, the word persists in legal dictionaries and historical legal documents.

Permittent is used chiefly as an adjectival modifier; its noun counterpart is permitted or the act of permitting. The adjective is inflected in the same pattern as other regular adjectives in English: permittent, permittently, permittentness. Five synonyms include permissive, authorizing, sanctioning, approving, and tolerating. This lexical item, while of limited everyday utility, is useful for precision in legal drafting or historical legal analysis.