The major purpose of this study is to understand the concept of permission and relate its logical peculiarities to the activities, linguistic and non-linguistic, in which it finds application within authority-subject institutions. It is a conceptual, not an empirical, study proceeding from data provided by philosophical difficulties and controversy, ordinary language forms, and some elementary principles of deontic logic. Numerous illustrations and examples of a fairly informal nature are provided. Conclusions are presented which pertain to the connection between: (1) the idea of having permission to do a certain act and freedom to choose to do it or not, (2) permission and the absence of prohibition, and (3) permission, permissibility, and practical possibility. (Author/RD)