sub·li·cense
ˌsəb-ˈlī-sᵊn(t)s 
variants
US sublicense
or chiefly British sublicence
plural sublicenses
: a subordinate license granted to another by one already having a license
Universities often work to breed products especially suited to their state's agricultural needs. When they develop appropriate products, they'll seek plant variety protection (similar to a patent) through the federal government, then maintain the purity of that product by selling it to a company with a sublicense for the seed. In turn, they receive royalties …—
Carla Joinson
Carla Joinson
variants
US sublicense
or British sublicence
sublicensed; sublicensing
: to grant a sublicense for (something)
The company plans to incorporate the system into a demonstration facility for recycling vehicles and will sublicense the … technology to automobile shredders worldwide.—John DeGaspari
John DeGaspariExamples of sublicense in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2025
The registered trademark Linux is used pursuant to a sublicense from the Linux Foundation, the exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a worldwide basis.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 Dec. 2024
The multiyear deal, which runs through the 2026-27 season, is through a sublicense agreement with ESPN.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 27 Sep. 2024
Earlier this year, a sublicense was issued for a Fred Segal Home furniture and accessories showroom at the HD Buttercup Design Center in Culver City, Calif.
—Deborah Belgum, WWD, 31 July 2024
Royalty payments of approximately $2.5 million were received from our sublicense with Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd in the year ended December 31, 2023, representing an approximate 48.8% increase over the same period in 2022.
—Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
More than fifty companies around the world have already contacted the Patent Pool to obtain a sublicense to produce the drug, and the Gates Foundation has pledged a hundred and twenty million dollars to support generic-drug makers.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2021
Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The company last year sublicensed early-round CFP games to Warner Bros. Discovery, which is charting a new course with its sports operation after parting ways with the NBA.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
The network even has two first-round CFP games this winter (sublicensed from ESPN, why not?).
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Those rights can be sublicensed to the Big Ten, NCAA or any other third party, and continue after an athlete is no longer at the school, though not for use to sell goods and services.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In an unusual move, Fox Deportes and Telemundo are sharing rights via a sublicense deal.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2025
The registered trademark Linux is used pursuant to a sublicense from the Linux Foundation, the exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a worldwide basis.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 Dec. 2024
The multiyear deal, which runs through the 2026-27 season, is through a sublicense agreement with ESPN.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 27 Sep. 2024
Earlier this year, a sublicense was issued for a Fred Segal Home furniture and accessories showroom at the HD Buttercup Design Center in Culver City, Calif.
—Deborah Belgum, WWD, 31 July 2024
Royalty payments of approximately $2.5 million were received from our sublicense with Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd in the year ended December 31, 2023, representing an approximate 48.8% increase over the same period in 2022.
—Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
More than fifty companies around the world have already contacted the Patent Pool to obtain a sublicense to produce the drug, and the Gates Foundation has pledged a hundred and twenty million dollars to support generic-drug makers.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2021
Verb
Under a sublicensing agreement with ESPN, the CW airs 13 Atlantic Coast Conference football games each year, but the network often airs games that ESPN would rather not broadcast.
—Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
The company last year sublicensed early-round CFP games to Warner Bros. Discovery, which is charting a new course with its sports operation after parting ways with the NBA.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
The network even has two first-round CFP games this winter (sublicensed from ESPN, why not?).
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Those rights can be sublicensed to the Big Ten, NCAA or any other third party, and continue after an athlete is no longer at the school, though not for use to sell goods and services.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Sublicense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sublicense. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share