Go-ahead
n.hopeful, capableprofessional
What it means
Permission or approval to begin or continue an action.
Reach for it when naming a clear decision that allows planned work to proceed
The safety officer gave the go-ahead for the bridge inspection.
Choose between these
6- everyday
a familiar metaphor suits a clear positive decision
not when Green light is informal and can obscure who had authority to decide.
- professional
approval
a proposal has met the decision maker's standard
not when Approval may express favor without authorizing a start.
- professional
clearance
a safety, security, or procedural barrier has been passed
not when Clearance suggests a specific control and not general endorsement.
- formal
expressed agreement matters more than operational authority
not when Assent may be nonbinding and does not necessarily permit action.
- formal
authorization
official power or rules permit the action
not when Authorization is too legalistic for an informal personal decision.
- formal
a person freely agrees to something affecting them
not when Consent must not be treated as managerial permission or assumed from silence.
Said against
3- refusal
- prohibition
- veto
It naturally appears in
3- give the go-ahead
The trustees give the go-ahead only after an independent review.
- get the go-ahead
Builders must get the go-ahead before closing the footpath.
- final go-ahead
Weather data supplied the final go-ahead for launch.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English noun sense 1: permission to proceed opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.