licit
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of licit
1475–85; < Latin licitus permitted (past participle of licēre ); replacing earlier licite < Middle French; see -ite 2
Explanation
Licit things are allowed or legal. Riding your skateboard down the street in your neighborhood is probably licit, but riding it down the subway escalator probably isn't. The adjective licit isn't as common as its opposite, illicit, or "forbidden" — although the two words are often used together, as when someone talks about or compares licit versus illicit drugs or licit versus illicit actions. In Latin, the root licitus means "lawful," and it's closely related to license, which means "permission or freedom to do something."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Ms Rose argues the new leaders will need to identify "new and alternative economic pathways to encourage Syrians to participate in the licit formal economy."
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024
But animals’ taste for human goods — licit and illicit — can also bring trouble for them and for us.
From New York Times • Feb. 21, 2023
“Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?” the pontiff asked.
From Seattle Times • May 28, 2019
“They put obstacles, barriers. A licit practice was delayed and the process of gestation was allowed to advance and ended where it ended,” she said, according to AFP.
From Fox News • Feb. 28, 2019
Oika Shipping Company claims all cargo absolutely licit and not aware of any officer or crew problems.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
