Lewis & Short

lĭcentĭa, ae, f. [licet], freedom, liberty, leave to do as one pleases, license.

  1. I. In gen.: Dae. Licet … licet … licet. Tr. Hercules istum infelicet cum sua licentia, Plaut. Rud. 4, 6, 21: nobis nostra Academia magnam licentiam dat, ut, etc., Cic. Off. 3, 4, 20: pueris non omnem ludendi licentiam damus, id. ib. 1, 29, 103: tantum licentiae dabat gloria, id. de Sen. 13, 44: absolvendi, Tac. A. 14, 49: lasciviendi permittere militibus, Suet. Caes. 67.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. Liberty which one assumes, boldness, presumption, license: homo ad scribendi licentiam liber, Cic. N. D. 1, 44, 123: a Democrito omnino haec licentia, id. ib. 1, 38, 107: per intercalandi licentiam, by arbitrary intercalation, Suet. Caes. 40.
      Freq. of style: poëtarum, Cic. de Or. 3, 38, 153: juvenilis quaedam dicendi impunitas et licentia, id. Brut. 91, 316: figurarum, Quint. 10, 1, 28.
      1. 2. In rhet. as a figure of speech, = παρρησία, boldness, freedom of speech, Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48: poëtica, Quint. 2, 4, 3; 4, 1, 58: declamatoria, id. 8, 3, 76.
    2. B. Unrestrained liberty, unbounded license, dissoluteness, licentiousness: deteriores omnes sumus licentia, Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 74: nimia illaec licentia evadet in aliquod magnum malum, id. Ad. 3, 4, 63: omnium rerum infinita atque intoleranda licentia, Cic. Agr. 1, 5, 5: licentia libidoque, id. Verr. 2, 3, 33, § 77: cupiditatum, id. Att. 10, 4, 1; id. Off. 2, 8, 28: habere impunitatem et licentiam sempiternam, id. Mil. 31, 84: quorum licentiae nisi Carneades restitisset, id. Div. 2, 72, 150: malle licentiam suam quam aliorum libertatem, Liv. 3, 37: Sullani temporis, lawlessness, Suet. Gram. 11: militum, Nep. Eum. 8: indomitam Refrenare (licentiam), Hor. C. 3, 24, 29: licentiam coërcere, Tac. H. 1, 35: in libertatibus quoque dandis nimiam licentiam compescuit lex Fufia Caninia, Gai. Inst. 2, 228.
      Of inanimate things: magna gladiorum est licentia, the license of the sword is great, i. e. daring murders are prevalent, Cic. Fam. 4, 9, 12: immensa licentia ponti, Ov. M. 1, 309.
    3. C. Personified as a goddess: templum Licentiae (for Libertatis), Cic. Leg. 2, 17, 42; cf. Libertas.