greenlight

G2R1E1E1N1L1I1G2H4T1
/ˈɡɹiːnlaɪt/

verb

To approve; to permit to proceed.

Similar
allowapprovegive the go-aheadgive the green lightpermitrubber stampwave through
Opposite
Less commonScrabble 15

Meanings

verbgreenlight (third-person singular simple present greenlights, present participle greenlighting, simple past and past participle greenlighted or greenlit)

present singular third person greenlights · participle present greenlighting · participle past greenlighted · past greenlighted · participle past greenlit · past greenlit · alternative green-light

  1. idiomaticinformaltransitiveTo approve; to permit to proceed.

    The United Kingdom (UK) is reportedly waiting for US approval before greenlighting Ukrainian forces to use UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes against military targets in Russia.

    2024 August 11, Riley Bailey, Christina Harward, Angelica Evans, Grace Mappes, Davit Gasparyan, Frederick W. Kagan, “Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 17, 2024”, in Ukraine Project, The Institute for the Study of War
    1 more example

    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".

    2020 December 2, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Sunak focuses on jobs, infrastructure and 'levelling up'”, in Rail, page 7

    Synonyms: allow, approve, give the go-ahead, give the green light, permit, rubber stamp, wave through

  2. idiomaticslangtransitiveTo approve or requisition the harming or death of; to put a hit out on.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo approve; to permit to proceed.

Similar
allowapprovegive the go-aheadgive the green lightpermitrubber stampwave through
Opposite
Also see

Origin

Translations

Finnish näyttää vihreää valoa
  • näyttää vihreää valoato approve
French donner le/son feu vert pour
  • donner le/son feu vert pourto approve
German grünes Licht geben, genehmigen
  • grünes Licht gebento approve
  • genehmigento approve
Hungarian zöld utat ad/enged
  • zöld utat ad/engedto approve
Italian approvare, omologare
  • approvareto approve
  • omologareto approve
Portuguese dar sinal verde (o), permitir
  • dar sinal verde (o)to approve
  • permitirto approve
  • aprovarto approve
Spanish dar luz verde a
  • dar luz verde ato approve
Cite this entry
APA

greenlight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greenlight

MLA

“greenlight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greenlight. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “greenlight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greenlight.

Source: greenlight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.