Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “licit” come from?

Licit comes from Latin licitus, the past participle of licet, meaning "it is allowed," which derives from the Proto-Indo-European root leyk-.

licit (English): Not forbidden by formal or informal rules;...

Definitions

  1. Not forbidden by formal or informal rules;...

Ancestry of “licit”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlicitefirst-person singular present indicative of...
2Latinlicitusallowed, permitted, having been permitted;...
3Latinlicetit is allowed; one is permitted; although, even...
4Proto-Italic*likēt—

Words derived from “licit”

  • licitly
  • licitness
Every word from Proto-Italic *likēt →