Which word – let, permit, allow, authorise or license?

Today’s English
April 20th, 2017

All these words are verbs and have the meaning of allowing someone to do something but the following points are to be remembered while using these words in speech and writing:

1.Permit is more formal than allow that is more formal than let.  In spoken English, let is more frequently used than the other two. Let can be used for making suggestion, request, challenge and offering help but the other two are not used in this way:

Let’s have a cup of coffee. (Suggestion)
Let me use your pen for a moment. (Request)
Let me carry your bag. (Offering help)
Let him try if he can beat me in the final.(challenge)
Let her join our team. (Giving permission)
You are not permitted to bring mobile phone to the exam hall.
Her parents allowed her to work at night shift.

2.To is used after permit, allow, license and authorise but not after let
I allowed him to go early. I let him go early.

3.Except let, all others can be used in passive voice.
He was permitted to pay the dues on installments. (Let cannot be used in passive)

4.Authorise means to officially permit someone to do something on your behalf. It is more formal than permit and has restricted usage.

I authorized him to receive my remuneration.
She was authorized to act as manager in his absence.

5.License is more formal than authorise and is used only to refer to legal permission by govt bodies.
The company was licensed to sell drugs.
You are not licensed to drive a car. Why do you risk yourself?

(Wife: Let’s go to Lalitha jewellery.

Husband: No. I can’t allow you purchase jewels twice in a year.

Wife: I want…today itself...

Husband: (slapping) Are you mad?

Wife : How dare you to slap me? Do you thing you are licensed to beat me by marriage?

Husband: No,  I’m authorized by your father. Whenever you go mad…

Wife:……..?!)