greenlight
See also: green-light and green light
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom green light.
Pronunciation
editVerb
editgreenlight (third-person singular simple present greenlights, present participle greenlighting, simple past and past participle greenlighted or greenlit)
- (transitive) To approve; to permit to proceed.
- 2020 December 2, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Sunak focuses on jobs, infrastructure and 'levelling up'”, in Rail, page 7:
- Labour's Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds hit back at Sunak and said that his failure to greenlight major projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail showed that government claims of levelling up the country were "not supported by the evidence".
- (transitive, slang) To approve or requisition the harming or death of; to put a hit out on.
Usage notes
editThe past participle greenlit is now more common than greenlighted.[1]
Synonyms
edit- (approve): allow, approve, give the go-ahead, give the green light, permit, rubber stamp, wave through
Antonyms
editTranslations
editto approve
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References
editFurther reading
edit- Stan Carey on "greenlit" (2023-08-16) at Language Log