What does permissibly mean?
Permissibly means in a way that is allowed or permitted. It is the adverbial form of permissible and is especially useful in legal, regulatory, technical, and institutional contexts where an action must be carried out consistently with permissions, policies, or applicable rules. For example, a company might explain that personal information is collected permissibly, or a reviewer might state that access to a restricted system was granted permissibly. The word conveys a sense of legitimacy and compliance rather than merely describing something that happens to be convenient or possible. Although permissibly is more formal than expressions such as in an allowed way, it can still be understood by general readers. It is the precise adverb to use when describing the manner in which something is allowed, authorized, or permitted.
adverbIn a way that is allowed or permitted; within the limits of what is allowed.
- In a way that is allowed, permitted, or consistent with the relevant rules or permissions.
"The application was designed to process personal data permissibly under the relevant regulations."
"The information was shared permissibly with members of the research team."
"The software must store and transmit credentials permissibly under the organization’s security policy."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does permissibly come from?
The word belongs to an English word family rooted in Latin permittere, meaning “to allow” or “to permit.” The adjective permissible and the noun permission reflect this Latin-derived vocabulary, while permissibly was formed in English by adding the adverbial suffix -ly to permissible. Across these forms, the central idea is that something is authorized or allowable.
Related word forms
How permissibly is actually used
Usually formal, legal, regulatory, or technical. It is more common in professional writing than in everyday conversation.