licit

American  

[lis-it] / ˈlɪs ɪt /

adjective

1. legal; lawful; legitimate; permissible.

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licit British  

/ ˈlɪsɪt /

adjective

1. a less common word for lawful

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Other Word Forms

• licitly adverb
• licitness noun

Etymology

Origin of licit

1475–85; < Latin licitus permitted (past participle of licēre ); replacing earlier licite < Middle French; -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

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

Opening a licit market would matter more legally and symbolically than economically, they argue, citing relatively low domestic demand and little chance of exporting the product, as well as seemingly restrictive regulatory measures.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2021

“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