licet

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *leyk- (“to prepare for sale”). Cognate with liceor and liceō.

Pronunciation

Verb

licet (present infinitive licēre, perfect active licuit, supine licitum); second conjugation, impersonal

  1. (with dative) it is allowed; one is permitted.
    Licetne pauca?
    May I speak a word with you? (literally: Are a few [words] permitted?)
    Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi
    Gods may do what cattle may not (literally What is permissible for Jove is not permissible for an ox)
    • 16 BCE, Ovid, Amores 3.4:
      Cui peccare licet, peccat minus.
      To whom it is allowed to sin, sins less.

Inflection
   Conjugation of licet (second conjugation, mostly impersonal, active only)
indicative singular plural
first second third first second third
active present — — licet — — licent
imperfect — — licēbat — — licēbant
future — — licēbit — — —
perfect — — licuit, licitum est — — —
pluperfect — — licuerat, licitum erat — — —
future perfect — — licuerit, licitum erit — — —
subjunctive singular plural
first second third first second third
active present — — liceat — — liceant
imperfect — — licēret — — —
perfect — — licuerit, licitum sit — — —
pluperfect — — licuisset, licitum esset — — —
imperative singular plural
first second third first second third
active present — — — — — —
future — licētō licētō — — —
non-finite forms active passive
present perfect future present perfect future
infinitives licēre licuisse, licitum esse licitūrum esse — — —
participles licēns licitus licitūrus — — —

Derived terms

Descendants

References
  • licet in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • licet in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • licet in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
  • Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
    • this much I can vouch for: illud pro certo affirmare licet
    • allow me to say: pace tua dixerim or dicere liceat
    • I have no objection: per me licet
  • Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume II, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 669
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