SKIP TO CONTENT

laissez passer

A laissez passer is a permit or another form of official authorization to go somewhere. You'll need a laissez passer to go backstage after the concert and meet the band. Rock on!

In French, laissez passer means "let pass," and the phrase is used for documents that give a person permission to pass. Usually, a laissez passer is required for passage between countries for specific reasons. International organizations like the Red Cross issue a laissez passer to people assisting with a humanitarian crisis, for example; it works as an emergency passport.

Definitions of laissez passer
  1. noun
    a document indicating permission to do something without restrictions
    synonyms: pass
    see moresee less
    types:
    boarding card, boarding pass
    a pass that allows you to board a ship or plane
    hall pass
    written permission from a teacher for a student to be out the classroom and in the halls of the school
    ticket-of-leave
    a permit formerly given to convicts allowing them to leave prison under specific restrictions
    type of:
    permission
    approval to do something
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘laissez passer'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family