Wordnet 3.0
ADJECTIVE (2)
1.
not preventive;
2.
granting or inclined or able to grant permission;
not strict in discipline;
- Example: "direct primary legislation is largely permissive rather than prescriptive"- Example: "permissive parents"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Permissive \Per*mis"sive\ (p[~e]r*m[i^]s"s[i^]v), a.
1. Permitting; granting leave or liberty. "By his permissive
will." --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. Permitted; tolerated; suffered. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
permissive
adj 1: not preventive [ant: preventative, preventive]
2: granting or inclined or able to grant permission; not strict
in discipline; "direct primary legislation is largely
permissive rather than prescriptive"; "permissive parents"
[ant: unpermissive]