The meaning of PERMISSIVE is granted on sufferance : tolerated. How to use permissive in a sentence.

A permissive person, society, or way of behaving allows or tolerates things which other people disapprove of. ...the permissive tolerance of the 1960s.

PERMISSIVE definition: habitually or characteristically accepting or tolerant of something, as social behavior or linguistic usage, that others might disapprove or forbid. See examples of permissive …

PERMISSIVE definition: 1. A person or society that is permissive allows behaviour that other people might disapprove of…. Learn more.

Definition of permissive adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1. tolerant; lenient: permissive parents. 2. indulgent in matters of sex: a permissive society.

A permissive coach will cut players slack during practices and games. Laws can be permissive too — about drugs, guns, and other things that could be tightly controlled. A permissive society is one with …

origin of permissive late 15th century (in the sense ‘tolerated, allowed’): from Old French, or from medieval Latin permissivus, from permiss- ‘allowed’, from the verb permittere (see permit)

There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the word permissive, one of which is considered derogatory. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Permissive definition: Giving permission; that permits.