License

google

ref

late Middle English: from licence. The spelling -se arose by analogy with pairs such as practice, practise .

wiktionary

ref

From Middle English licence, licens, lisence, lissens, licance(noun) and licencen, licensen, lisensen, licent(verb), from Old French licence, from Latin licentia(“license”), from licens, present participle of licere(“to be allowed, be allowable”); compare linquere, Ancient Greek λείπω(leípō, “leave”).

etymonline

ref

license (v.)

c. 1400, "grant formal authorization to do what would be illegal to do without it," from licence (n.), which see for the modern attempt at differentiation of spelling. Related: Licensed; Licensing.