License
License noun - The approval by someone in authority for the doing of something.
Usage example: the company is seeking license to operate several more power plants in the state
Pass is a synonym for license in safe-conduct topic. In some cases you can use "Pass" instead the word "License" as a noun or a verb.
Pass
Pass noun - A permit to enter or leave a military installation.
Usage example: he had to show his pass in order to get out
License is a synonym for pass in authorization topic. Sometimes you can use "License" instead the word "Pass" as a noun or a verb, if it concerns topics such as safe-conduct.
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- The province of Ontario reviewed her driver's license after the show; she did not pass the review.
Source: Non-Gameplay Elimination - In one episode Evie uses her powers to pass her driving test, with the result that she gets a license despite not being able to parallel park.
Source: Broken Aesop / Live-Action TV - Sue's efforts to pass her road test and get her license are an ongoing arc in the fourth season of The Middle.
Source: Driving Test
Cite this Source
Pass and License. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/license/pass
License & Pass. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/license/pass>.
Pass or License. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/license/pass.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "license" and "pass" have occurred on timeline