licit

See also: líčit

English

WOTD – 18 August 2008

Etymology

From Latin licitus (“lawful”), perfect participle of licet (“[it] is permitted”, impersonal verb).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɪs.ɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪsɪt

Adjective

licit (comparative more licit, superlative most licit)

1. Not forbidden by formal or informal rules.

   Synonyms: appropriate, legit, legitimate; see also Thesaurus:valid

   • Undated, Pope Honorius III Solet Annuere (anonymous translator),

     Let it not be in any way licit to anyone among men to infringe this page of our confirmation, or to contravene it with rash daring.

   • a. 1895 (date written), Robert Louis Stevenson, “Opinions of the Bench”, in S[idney] C[olvin], editor, Weir of Hermiston: An Unfinished Romance, London: Chatto and Windus […], published 1896, →OCLC, page 87:

     You seem to have been very much offended because your father talks a little sculduddery after dinner, which it is perfectly licit for him to do, and which (although I am not very fond of it myself) appears to be entirely an affair of taste.

   • 2008 July 27, Jeremy Seabrook, “Obama and the illusion of leadership”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     [T]he vanity of efforts to deter humanity from following this licit and highly profitable mobility, clearly indicate the limits of their [leaders'] power.

     (Can we archive this URL?)

2. (law) Explicitly established or constituted by law.

   Synonyms: established, lawful, legal; see also Thesaurus:lawful

   Antonym: illicit

   • 1913, Joseph Selinger, Catholic Encyclopedia, Moral and Canonical Aspect of Marriage:

     The contract validly made and consummated is dissolved by death alone. However, the Church must determine what is required for a valid and licit marriage contract.

Usage notes

• Licit and valid are legal terms to be compared, especially in terms of canon law. Something that is licit (such as a marriage contract), may nonetheless be invalid, illegal or both (for example, a bigamous marriage), or vice versa.

Derived terms

• licitly
• licitness

Translations

not forbidden

Bulgarian: позволен (bg) (pozvolen) Czech: legální (cs), dovolený (cs) Finnish: luvallinen (fi), sallittu (fi) Spanish: lícito (es) Swahili: halali (sw)

legal term

Bulgarian: законен (bg) (zakonen) Czech: zákonný (cs) Finnish: lainmukainen (fi), laillinen (fi) French: licite (fr) Spanish: lícito (es)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French licite, from Latin licitus.

Adjective

licit m or n (feminine singular licită, masculine plural liciți, feminine/neuter plural licite)

1. lawful

Declension

Declension of licit

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	licit		licită		liciți	licite
	definite	licitul		licita		liciții	licitele
genitive- dative	indefinite	licit		licite		liciți	licite
	definite	licitului		licitei		liciților	licitelor