poetic license

The liberty taken by an artist or a writer in deviating from conventional form or fact to achieve a desired effect.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

poet′ic li′cense

license or liberty, esp. as taken by a poet or other writer, in deviating from conventional form, logic, fact, etc., to produce a desired effect.

[1780–90]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

poetic license - license used by a writer or artist to heighten the effect of their work

licence, license - freedom to deviate deliberately from normally applicable rules or practices (especially in behavior or speech)

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References in periodicals archive

Sunderland's Poetic License Distillery struck a deal with supermarket giant Asda to stock one its fruity spirits in the run-up to Mother's Day.

Asda says chin chin to North East's fruity gin

And they can enjoy a selection of canapes from Mason + Rye's Food Hall branch, while sampling the likes of Steampunk Gin, which originating in Low Fell, Gateshead; Sunderland's Poetic License and quirky variations such as Newcastle-made Noveltea, alongside those from further afield, including examples from Zymurgorium Distillery in Manchester; The Lakes Distillery in The Lake District and Arrowsmiths Gin from Cheshire.

Discover top new tipples at tasting

Poetic License launches Tutti Frutti gin in time for World Gin Day

Fancy Gin O'Clock Friday? Blackfriars in Newcastle is to host an end-of-week gin masterclass; Historic venue's event for gin-lovers will include fizz, four gin tastings and a meal option

Monet: Itinerant of Light takes some mild poetic license for the sake of storytelling, and is not intended to be a strictly historic biography, yet its candid and essentially accurate depiction of Monet's life reveals the human side of a legendary classical artist.

Monet: Itinerant of Light

He includes patent drawings with the inventor stories, to which he also adds an imagined narrative of a day in each inventor's life, a little poetic license to help bring each one to life.

Invention; Think Different; Break Free From the Culture Hell Bent on Holding You Back

Taking some poetic license, Ricci wrote entertaining and compelling political lyrics to this funky beat.

Elliot Ricci's "Comin' Out of the Bushes" is a Political Parody Spanning Two Presidential Elections. This Song is About Character Flaws in Certain Candidates.

The use of the word 'compelling' in the resolution is just poetic license to show to the mayor the sincerest aspirations of his party mates.

Duterte not bound by PDP-Lakas resolution, says Pimentel

Using poetic license, he subordinates precision in speech to eloquence of expression so as to delight his audience.

Grygiel, Stanislaw. Discovering the Human Person: In Conversation with John Paul II

WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.40 Kingsway Lad, 6.15 Tumut, 6.50 Russian Royale, 7.20 Ice Mayden, 7.50 El Mirage, 8.20 Poetic License, 8.50 Lola Montez, 9.20 Candy Kitten.

TODAY'S TIPS DONCASTER

Summary: Artists are encouraged to exercise a right often denied to the rest of us: The "artistic" or "poetic license" to ignore inconvenient rules of grammar or language, or the banality of boring facts, in the service of a higher beauty.

'Poetic License' -- it's not just about poetry

The rhyme of the last line is a bit of a stretch, but I am hoping my poetic license covers it." His poem is made of limerick stanzas.

Flying off the handle