This is the 227th most frequent French word.
permettre
To allow or to permit.
Here 'permet' is used to indicate the facilitation of an action or possibility provided by an object, in this case, a key.
Cette clé permet d'ouvrir la porte.
This key allows one to open the door.
Here 'ont permis' expresses granting permission or authorization to someone for a specific action.
Ils m'ont permis de participer à la réunion.
They allowed me to attend the meeting.
Here 'permet' signifies enabling a condition or opportunity for a larger audience to benefit from education.