An object permission defines a capability related to a specific object, such as a database or a table. Object permissions are assigned to selected groups, roles, or users. Object permissions are also called grants, permits, or object privileges.

The owner of the object can grant and revoke object permissions and can grant other users the privilege to grant permission on the object. The granting of permissions is typically the responsibility of the DBA.

Using permissions, data access can be restricted in several ways. Grants on objects can range from general to specific.

Permissions are classified according to the type of objects they affect. Object types include: