LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbsecond conjugation, third person-only, optionally semi-deponent, no passive

licet

licet (present infinitive licēre, perfect active licuit or licitus est, supine licitum)
Classical[ˈlɪ.kɛt]Ecclesiastical[ˈliː.t͡ʃet]
№ 175 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to be allowed; to be permitted
    Licetne pauca?May I speak a word with you?
    Quod licet Iovī, nōn licet bovīGods may do what cattle may not
  2. although, even if
    licet ipse negameven if I were to deny itc. 100 CE – c. 130 CE, Juvenalis, Saturae 1.105

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

permittitur; licet tibi = potes, nēmō vetat.
licet licuit — in Mille Verba, Basilica et Iūs

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Concessum est · Licet · Fas est

Concessum est means, what is generally allowed, like ἔξεστι, and has a kindred signification with licet, licitum est, which mean what is allowed by human laws, whether positive, or sanctioned by custom and usage, like θέμις ἐστί; fas est means what is allowed by divine laws, whether the precepts of religion, or the clear dictates of the moral sense, like ὅσιόν ἐστι. (v. 167.)

Conjugation conjugation 2 deponent

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.——————
2nd sg.——————
3rd sg.licetlicēbatlicēbitlicuit
licitus est		licuerat
licitus erat		licuerit
licitus erit
1st pl.——————
2nd pl.——————
3rd pl.licentlicēbantlicēbuntlicuērunt
licuēre, licitī sunt		licuerant
licitī erant		licuerint
licitī erint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.————
2nd sg.————
3rd sg.liceatlicēretlicuerit
licitus sit		licuisset
licitus esset
1st pl.————
2nd pl.————
3rd pl.liceantlicērentlicuerint
licitī sint		licuissent
licitī essent
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
fut. 3rd sg.licētō—
fut. 3rd pl.licentō—
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivelicēre—
perfect infinitivelicuisse
licitum esse		—
future infinitivelicitūrum esse—
present participlelicēns—
perfect participlelicituslicita
licitā, licitae, licitam, licitārum, licitās, licite, licitī, licitīs, licitō, licitōrum, licitōs
future participlelicitūrus—
gerundlicendī, licendō, licendumsupinelicitum, licitū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

per me licet
I have no objection.
illud pro certo affirmare licet
this much I can vouch for.
pace tua dixerim or dicere liceat
allow me to say.

lĭcet, cŭit and cĭtum est, 2 (old form, licessit for licuerit, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 13;
I. imp. liceto, Lex ap. Inscr. Grut. 202, 508 al.), v. n. and impers. [root lic-; Gr. λιπ-; v. 1. liceo], it is lawful, it is allowed or permitted; one may or can, one is at liberty to do so and so; constr. with neutr. of the demonstr. or rel. pron., with inf. or a subject-clause, with or without a dat., or dat. and inf., with ut or (more freq.) with the simple subj., or entirely absol.
(a). With neutr. of the demonstr. or rel. pron. as a subject, with or without a dat.: licere id dicimus, quod legibus, quod more majorum institutisque conceditur. Neque enim quod quisque potest, id ei licet, Cic. Phil. 13, 6, 14: cui facile persuasi, mihi id, quod rogaret, ne licere quidem, non modo non lubere, id. Att. 14, 19, 4: quid deceat vos, non quantum liceat vobis, spectare debetis, id. Rab. Post. 5, 11; cf.: si hominibus tantum licere judicas, quantum possunt: vide, ne, etc., id. Phil. 13, 7, 15: si illud non licet, Saltem hoc licebit, Ter. Eun. 4, 2, 12: neque idem ubique aut licet aut decorum est, Quint. 5, 10, 40: quod in foro non expedit, illic nec liceat, id. 9, 2, 67: sin et poterit Naevius id quod lubet et ei lubebit, quod non licet, quid agendum est? Cic. Quint. 30, 94: nihil, quod per leges liceret, id. Mil. 16, 43: cui tantum de te licuit? Verg. A. 6, 502; Anthol. Lat. 1, 172, 150: cui tantum fata licere In generum voluere tuum, Luc. 9, 1025; cf.: tantumque licere horruit, Sil. 14, 670.—Rarely in plur.: cum in servum omnia liceant, est, etc., Sen. Clem. 1, 18, 2.—
(b). With inf. or a subject-clause, with or without a dat.: neque terram inicere, neque cruenta Convestire corpora mihi licuit, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Trag. v. 168 Vahl.): licet nemini contra patriam ducere exercitum, Cic. Phil. 13, 6, 14: ut tibi id facere liceat, id. Rep. 1, 6, 10: M. Catoni licuit Tusculi se in otio delectare, id. ib. 1, 1, 1: sceleris crimine liceat Cn. Pompeio mortuo, liceat multis aliis carere, id. Lig. 6, 18; Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 3; Cic. Att. 2, 1, 5: quaerere, qui licuerit aedificare navem senatori, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 18, § 45: meamet facta mihi dicere licet, Sall. J. 85, 24.—Without a dat.: introire in aedes numquam licitum est, Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 70: impune optare istuc licet, Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 14: modo liceat vivere, id. Heaut. 5, 2, 28: licetne scire ex te? id. Hec. 5, 4, 33: hic subitam rerum commutationem videre licuit, Caes. B. C. 3, 27, 1; 3, 96, 4: si facere omnino non licebit, Cic. Phil. 13, 6, 14: licet ora ipsa cernere iratorum, id. Off. 1, 29, 102; cf. id. Div. 1, 41, 91: licet hoc videre, id. de Or. 3, 25, 99; id. Div. 1, 7, 13; id. Inv. 1, 15, 21; 2, 23, 71; 2, 9, 29: veretur ne non liceat tenere hereditatem, id. Att. 13, 48, 1: licetne extra ordinem in provocantem hostem pugnare? Liv. 23, 47, 1: poscere ut perculsis instare liceat, id. 2, 65, 2. —With inf. pass. (cf. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 660 sq.): intellegi jam licet, nullum fore imperium, Cic. Rep. 1, 38, 60: idque e pontificio jure intellegi licet, id. Tusc. 1, 12, 27; cf.: his cognosci licuit, quantum, etc., Caes. B. C. 3, 28; Cic. Off. 1, 7, 20: evocari ex insula Cyprios non licet, id. Att. 5, 21, 6: in senatu dici nihil liceat, id. ib. 3, 12, 1: coöptari sacerdotem licebat, id. Fam. 3, 10, 9: in eum ordinem coöptari licet, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 49, § 120: id primum in poëtis cerni licet, id. de Or. 3, 7, 27; id. Ac. 1, 4, 17.—The noun of the subject-clause is regularly in the acc.: licet me id scire quid sit? Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 14: non licet hominem esse, etc., Ter. Heaut. 4, 1, 53: si licet me latere, id. ib. 4, 2, 5: hocine me miserum non licere meo modo ingenium frui! id. ib. 2, 4, 21; cf.: eodem ut jure uti senem Liceat, id. Hec. prol. alt. 3: non licet me isto tanto bono uti, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 59, § 154: cum non liceret Romae quemquam esse, etc., id. ib. 2, 2, 41, § 100: ex eis locis, in quibus te habere nihil licet, id. ib. 2, 5, 18, § 45: quare licet etiam mortalem esse animum judicantem aeterna moliri, id. Tusc. 1, 38, 91: cur his per te frui libertate sua, cur denique esse liberos non licet? id. Fl. 29, 71 B. and K. (al. liberis; v. infra).—So with esse: liceat esse miseros, Cic. Lig. 6, 18; cf.: medios esse jam non licebit, id. Att. 10, 8, 4; id. Tusc. 5, 15, 44; 1, 38, 91 Klotz N. cr.; also with fieri: ut eum liceat ante tempus consulem fieri, Auct. Her. 3, 2, 2: ut jam liceat una comprehensione omnia complecti non dubitantemque dicere, etc., Cic. Fin. 5, 9, 26: haec praescripta servantem licet magnifice vivere, id. Off. 1, 26, 92: licet tamen opera prodesse multis, beneficia petentem, etc., id. ib. 2, 19, 67.—So with acc. with a subject-inf., esse or fieri, even when licet is accompanied by the dat.: si civi Romano licet esse Gaditanum, Cic. Balb. 12, 29: potest incidere quaestio, An huic esse procuratorem liceat? Quint. 7, 1, 19: procuratorem tibi esse non licuit, id. 4, 4, 6 Zumpt N. cr.: mihi non licet esse piam, Ov. H. 14, 64: is erat annus, quo per leges ei consulem fieri liceret Caes. B. C. 3, 1 Oud. N. cr.—But more freq., in this case, there is an attraction of the predicate-noun to the dative dependent on licet.—Hence,
(g). Licet alicui with inf., esp. with esse: per hanc tibi cenam incenato esse hodie licet, Plaut. Stich. 4, 2, 31: per hanc curam quieto tibi licet esse, id. Ep. 3, 2, 2: licuit esse otioso Themistocli, Cic. Tusc. 1, 15, 33; cf.: ut tibi abesse liceat, et esse otioso, id. Att. 9, 2, A, 1: quare judici mihi non esse liceat, id. Rab. Post. 7, 17: ut iis ingratis esse non liceat, id. Off. 2, 18, 63: quo in genere mihi neglegenti esse non licet, id. Att. 1, 17, 6: cur iis per te frui libertate sua, cur denique esse liberis non licet? id. Fl. 29, 71 (B. and K. liberos; v. supra): quibus otiosis ne in communi quidem otio liceat esse, id. Cael. 1, 1: quibus licet jam esse fortunatissimis, Caes. B. G. 6, 35, 8: illis timidis et ignavis licet esse, Liv. 21, 44, 3.—With other verbs than esse: ut sibi per te liceat innocenti vitam in egestate degere, Cic. Rosc. Am. 49, 144: cum postulasset ... ut sibi triumphanti urbem invehi liceret, Liv. 38, 44 fin.— Very rarely, in this construction, the dative with licet is wanting, and is to be supplied from the connection: atqui licet esse beatis (sc. iis), Hor. S. 1, 1, 19: licet eminus esse Fortibus, Ov. M. 8, 405: Hannibal precatur deos ut incolumi cedere atque abire liceat, Liv. 26, 41, 16: sibi vitam filiae suā cariorem fuisse, si liberae ac pudicae vivere licitum fuisset, id. 3, 50, 6. Cf. on this and the preced. construction, Krüger, Untersuchungen, vol. iii. p. 359 sq.; Ruddim. 2, p. 15; Zumpt, Gram. § 601; Madv. Gram. § 393, c. and obs. 1.—
(d). With ut, and more freq. with the simple subj.: neque jam mihi licet neque est integrum, ut, etc., Cic. Mur. 4, 8: facto nunc laedat licet, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 53: mea quidem causa salvos sis licet, id. Rud. 1, 2, 51: ludas licet, Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 33: fremant omnes licet, Cic. de Or. 1, 44, 195: sed omnia licet concurrant, id. Att. 14, 4, 2: ex qua licet pauca degustes, id. ib. 1, 16, 8: vel ipsi hoc dicas licet, id. ib. 5, 1, 4: quamvis licet insectemur istos, metuo ne soli philosophi sint, id. Tusc. 4, 24, 53; cf. id. Leg. 3, 10, 24; id. N. D. 3, 36, 88: sequatur Hermagoram licebit, id. Inv. 1, 51, 97; id. Rosc. Am. 17, 49: sis pecore et multa dives tellure licebit, Hor. Epod. 15, 19: detrahat auctori multum fortuna licebit, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 3; Verg. A. 6, 400. Cf. also under II. a.—(ε) As a v. impers. absol., with or without dat.: immo, aliis si licet, tibi non licet, Ter. Heaut. 4, 15, 49: cum licitum est ei, id. And. 2, 6, 12: nec crederem mihi impunius Licere, id. Heaut. 3, 2, 50: quod profecto faciam, si mihi per ejusdem amicitiam licebit, Cic. Fam. 1, 8, 3: Ph. Sed quaeso, hominem ut jubeas arcessi. He. Licet, that may be or may be done, I have no objection, Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 29: si per vos licet, id. As. prol. 12: id quod postea, si per vos, judices, licitum erit, aperietur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 44, 127: dum per aetatem licet, Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 28: fruare, dum licet, id. Heaut. 2, 3, 104; cf.: dum licet, loquimini mecum, id. Phorm. 3, 3, 16: sic ut quimus, aiunt, quando, ut volumus, non licet, id. And. 4, 5, 10: ut id, quoad posset, quod fas esset, quoad liceret, populi ad partes daret, Cic. Agr. 2, 7, 19.
II. Transf. When licet introduces a subordinate proposition, which makes a concession, without abandoning the main proposition, it is used as a conjunction corresponding to quamvis, quamquam, etsi. In late Latin it is, like these, connected with the indicative, and in the class. per. it is not unfreq. opposed to tamen and certe in the main proposition; even if, although, notwithstanding.
A. With subj. (class.): quoniam quidem semel suscepi, licet hercules undique omnes mihi minae et terrores periculaque impendeant omnia, succurram atque subibo, Cic. Rosc. Am. 11, 31: improbitas, licet adversario molesta sit, judici invisa est, Quint. 6, 4, 15: in comoedia maxime claudamus: licet Varro Musas Plautino dicat sermone locuturas fuisse, si Latine loqui vellent; licet, etc., id. 10, 1, 99: vita brevis est, licet supra mille annos exeat, Sen. Brev. Vit. 6: licet ingens janitor ... exsanguis terreat umbras, Verg. A. 6, 400. —With part. for subj.: isque, licet caeli regione remotos, mente deos adiit, Ov. M. 15, 62.—With a corresp. tamen: licet laudem Fortunam, tamen, ut ne Salutem culpem, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 28: licet saepius tibi hujus generis litteras mittam ... sed tamen, etc., Cic. Fam. 13, 27, 1: licet tibi significarim, ut ad me venires, tamen, etc., id. Att. 3, 12, 3; Quint. 2, 2, 8; 8, 3, 69: licet ergo non sint confirmati testamento, a me tamen, ut confirmati, observabuntur, Plin. Ep. 2, 16, 3; Quint. 7 praef. § 2: constet illi licet fides et benevolentia, tranquillitas tamen, etc., Sen. Tranq. Anim. 7, 6.—With ellips. of subj.: immatura licet, tamen huc non noxia veni (sc. venias), Prop. 5, 11, 17.—With a corresp. certe: licet enim haec quivis arbitratu suo reprehendat ... certe levior reprehensio est, Cic. Ac. 2, 32, 102.—
B. With indic. (post-class.): licet inter gesta et facta videtur quaedam esse subtilis differentia, attamen, etc., Dig. 50, 16, 58; 2, 15, 8, § 25: licet directae libertates deficiunt, attamen, etc., ib. 29, 7, 2: obduxi licet arma, sum Priapus, Poëta ap. Anth. Lat. 5, 218; Macr. S. 1, 11; App. M. 2, p. 117, 25.—
C. As an adv. with adj. or part., although (post-class.): licet contumacissimum, tamen efficacissimum, etc., Sen. Cons. ad Marc. 8, 1: miles, licet membris vigentibus firmus, se solum circumspicit, Amm. 14, 10, 12; 17, 12, 11; Claud. Mam. Paneg. Max. 1.—Hence,
1. lĭcens, entis, P. a., free, unrestrained, uncurbed, bold, forward, presumptuous, licentious.
A. Of persons (only poet. and in post-class. prose): quam audaces et quam licentes sumus qui, etc., Gell. 15, 9, 4: unde licens Fabius sacra Lupercus habet, Prop. 4, 1, 26: turba licens, Naides improbae, Sen. Hippol. 777.—
B. Of inanim. and abstr. things (once in Cic.; elsewh. only poet. and in post-Aug. prose): licentior dithyrambus, Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 185: hic tibi multa licet sermone licentia tecto Dicere, Ov. A. A. 1, 569: joci, Stat. S. 1, 6, 93: licentior epistula, Plin. N. H. prooem. § 1: imperium, Val. Max. 6, 4, 2: vita, id. 9, 1, 3. —Hence, adv.: lĭcenter, freely, according to one's own pleasure or fancy; and, in a bad sense, without restraint, boldly, impudently, licentiously (class.): at quam licenter! Cic. N. D. 1, 39, 109: ut ingredi libere, non ut licenter videatur errare, id. Or. 23, 77: Graeci licenter multa, Quint. 1, 8, 6: aliquid facere, Liv. 26, 10.—Comp.: (servos) licentius, liberius, familiarius cum domina vivere, Cic. Cael. 23, 57: Romanos, remoto metu, laxius licentiusque futuros, more remiss in their discipline, Sall. J. 87 fin.: gerere res communes, id. ib. 108: ausi aliquid, Quint. 2, 4, 14: si quid licentius dixerint, id. 1, 2, 7: translata, id. 8, 3, 37; 12, 10, 50: Liberum et Cererem pro vino et pane licentius, quam ut fori severitas ferat, id. 8, 6, 24; Tac. A. 6, 13.—
2. lĭcĭtus, a, um, P. a., permitted, allowed, allowable, lawful (poet. and post-Aug. for permissus, honestus): sermo, Verg. A. 8, 468: torus, Petr. 34, 8: acies, Stat. Th. 11, 123: negotiatio, Dig. 37, 14, 2: contractus, ib. 50, 14, 3.—In plur. as subst.: lĭcĭta, ōrum, n., things that are lawful: ipse per licita atque illicita foedatus, Tac. A. 15, 37.—Hence, adv., in two forms: lĭcĭtē and lĭcĭtō, rightfully, lawfully (post-class. for juste, honeste, legitime).—Form licite, Dig. 30, 114, § 5.— Form licito, Sol. 11, 8; Cod. Th. 11, 8, 3.

Origins

Uncertain. Perhaps from Proto-Italic *likēt, from Proto-Indo-European *lik-eh₁-yéti, from a root of the shape *leyk-, though there are no certain cognates outside of Italic. Cognate with liceor, liceō, Oscan 𐌋𐌝𐌊𐌝𐌕𐌖𐌃 (líkítud, “it is permitted”); outside of Italic, compare perhaps Lithuanian reikė́ti (“to need”).

Descendants
  • Frenchloisirfrom Old French loisir
  • Frenchloisiblefrom Old French loisir
  • Englishleisurefrom Old French loisir
  • Englishlicensefrom Old French loisir
  • Portugueselazerfrom Old French loisir
  • Franco-Provençallêsir
  • Angevinlaisirfrom Old French loisir
  • Angevinlaisiblefrom Old French loisir
  • Gallolaisirfrom Old French loisir
  • Gallolaisiblefrom Old French loisir

Quick answers

What does licet mean in Latin?
licet, a verb, means “to be allowed; to be permitted; although, even if”.
What are the principal parts of licet?
licet, licēre, licuit, licitum (second conjugation, third person-only, optionally semi-deponent, no passive).
How do you pronounce licet?
In classical Latin, [ˈlɪ.kɛt]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈliː.t͡ʃet].