licit
Definitions
Permitted by law; lawful and legitimate
合法的，被许可的，正当的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedlicit is Latin licitus ("allowed, permitted") borrowed whole, with no prefix — the past participle of licēre, "it is allowed." It means lawful, sanctioned, above board. It is far rarer than its negative twin illicit, and usually appears precisely to contrast with it: licit and illicit trade.
Root licit still carries 5 more wordsUsage Guide
licit is rare; reach for it mainly to pair with illicit. In everyday English, "legal" or "lawful" is the natural choice; licit sounds formal or technical and most often appears in the set phrase "licit and illicit" (trade, drugs, markets). If you only need "allowed by law," prefer legal/lawful unless you are explicitly contrasting it with illicit.
Example Sentences
- 1.
The report distinguishes between licit and illicit drug use.
- 2.
Only licit business activities are recorded in the official accounts.
- 3.
Trade in these goods is perfectly licit under current regulations.