Synonyms of permissive

permissive

adjective

as in flexible

often disapproving giving people a lot of freedom or too much freedom to do what they want to do

permissive parents

Some states have more permissive laws than others.

Related Words

• flexible
• informal
• lenient
• accessible
• lax
• pliable
• pliant
• easygoing
• unaffected
• casual
• affable
• carefree
• soft
• low-pressure
• mellow
• nonchalant
• lackadaisical
• unconcerned
• breezy
• unperturbed
• untroubled
• familiar
• laid-back
• approachable
• warm
• happy-go-lucky
• devil-may-care
• unworried
• unfussy
• homey
• unflappable
• companionable
• imperturbable
• amicable
• neighborly
• unshakable
• dégagé
• genial
• cordial
• nerveless
• warmhearted
• comradely
• hearty
• hail-fellow-well-met

Dissimilar Words

• strict
• rigid
• formal
• decorous
• anxious
• ceremonious
• bothered
• nervous
• worried
• distressed
• tense
• jumpy
• uptight
• jittery
• skittish
• high-strung

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of permissive

Yet another study found that students at schools with restrictive phone policies did not have significantly better mental health or academic outcomes than students at more permissive schools. — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

What’s ironic is that the PG-13 standards for a movie were less permissive than the standards and practices for a television show at the time. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026

Here agents were built to find software exploits and placed in flawed or deliberately permissive environments. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

Operators instead would be instructed to follow local and state laws, which are often far more permissive. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026