Word of the Day

: March 4, 2010

licit

adjective LISS-it

What It Means

: conforming to the requirements of the law : not forbidden by law : permissible

licit in Context

"We are focusing on making government institutions more accountable and effective, promoting the rule of law, [and] stimulating licit economic activity, especially in agriculture." (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, April 23, 2009)

Did You Know?

"Licit" is far less common than its antonym "illicit," but you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the former is the older of the two. Not by much, though: the first known use of "licit" in print is from 1483, whereas "illicit" shows up in print for the first time in 1506. For some reason "illicit" took off while "licit" just plodded along. When "licit" appears these days it often modifies "drugs" or "crops." Meanwhile, "illicit" shows up before words like "thrill" and "passion" (as well as "gambling," "relationship," "activities," and, of course, "drugs" and "crops.") The Latin word "licitus," meaning "lawful," is the root of the pair; "licitus" itself is from "licēre," meaning "to be permitted."