dispensation

Universal Words noun 1 [C,U] special permission, especially from a religious leader, to do sth that is not usually allowed or legal: She needed a special dispensation to remarry. * The sport's ruling body gave him dispensation to compete in national competitions. 2 [U] (formal) the act or process of providing sth, especially by sb in authority: the dispensation of justice 3 [C] (technical) a political or religious system that operates in a country at a particular time