[f. LICENSE v. + -ER1.] One who licenses or gives authoritative permission for something; esp. an official whose function it is to license the publication of books or papers (licenser of the press), or the performance of plays (licenser of plays), on being satisfied that they contain nothing contrary to law or to public morals or decency.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 47. Those books must be permitted untoucht by the licencer.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., II. 133. He was appointed by the Presbyterians a Licenser of the Press in London.
1737. Chesterf., Sp. on Licensing Bill, in Hansard, Parl. Hist. (1812), X. 334. By good luck he was not the licenser, otherwise the kingdom of France had never had the pleasure … of seeing that play acted.
1755. Johnson, Licenser, a granter of permission; commonly a tool of power.
1812. Sir F. Burdett in Examiner, 21 Dec., 816/1. Much had been said of the tyranny of having a supervisor and licenser of the press.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xix. IV. 348. Sir Roger Lestrange … had been licenser under the last two Kings.
1874. Bucknill & Tuke, Psych. Med. (ed. 3), 2. The College of Physicians, whose licensers were required to visit the houses which they had licensed.
1884. W. J. Courthope, Addison, v. 83. For a long time the evanescent character of the newspaper allowed it to escape the attention of the licenser.
