adverb
vidēlicet
vidēlicet (not comparable)
Classical[wɪˈdeː.lɪ.kɛt]Ecclesiastical[viˈdɛː.li.t͡ʃet]
Meaning
- not comparablenamely; to wit; that is to say
Per Ordinacionem tocius regni Anglie fuit mensura Domini Regis composita videlicet quod denarius qui vocatur sterlingus rotundus & sine tonsura ponderabit triginta duo grana frumenti in medio Spice.
Per Ordinance of the whole realm of England the measure of the King is composed namely of a penny, which is called a sterling, round & without clipping, weighs thirty-two grains of wheat in the middle of the Ear.c. 1300, Tractatus de Ponderibus et Mensuris: - not comparableclearly, evidently
- not comparableone may see or it may be seen, it is evident, obviously, plainly, manifestly, naturally, of course
vĭdēlĭcet, adv. contr. from videre licet; cf. scilicet from scire licet; v. scilicet init.; prop. it is easy to see, to comprehend, serving, like scilicet, to confirm and complete what precedes (but with the difference that scilicet indicates rather the false, and videlicet the true explanation; v. Zumpt, Lat. Gram. § 345 n.);
I. it is easy to see, it is clear or evident, clearly, plainly, evidently, manifestly, etc. (class., but much less freq. than scilicet).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.
(a). With obj.-clause on account of videre (only ante- and post-class.; for in Cic. Att. 5, 11, 7, the better read. is datae):
videlicet, parcum illum fuisse senem, qui dixerit ... Videlicet fuisse illum nequam adulescentem, etc., Plaut. Stich. 4, 1, 49 and 51: esse videlicet in terris primordia rerum, Lucr. 1, 210: sed videlicet, eum vocabula rerum ignoravisse, Gell. 17, 5, 9.—(b). As a mere particle:
nunc enim est Negotiosus interdius: videlicet Solon est, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 9: videlicet propter divitias inditum id nomen quasi est, id. Capt. 2, 2, 36: hic de nostris verbis errat videlicet, Quae hic sumus locuti, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 22: quae videlicet ille non ex agri consiturā, sed ex doctrinae indiciis interpretabatur, Cic. Rep. 1, 17, 29: nihil dolo factum, ac magis calliditate Jugurthae, cui videlicet speculanti iter suum cognitum esset, Sall. J. 107, 3.— (g). Ellipt., in replies:
quid metuebant? Vim videlicet, Cic. Caecin. 15, 44: quid horum se negat fecisse? Illud videlicet unum, quod necesse est, pecuniam accepisse, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 33, § 80: qui eorum ... quorum? Videlicet qui supra scripti sunt, id. Clu. 54, 148.—B. In partic., it is easy to see, it is very plain, of course, forsooth, in an ironical or sarcastic sense, when the contrary is intended:
tuus videlicet salutaris consulatus, perniciosus meus, Cic. Phil. 2, 6, 15: homo videlicet timidus et permodestus (Catilina) vocem consulis ferre non potuit, id. Cat. 2, 6, 12: itaque censuit pecunias eorum publicandas, videlicet timens, ne, etc., Sall. C. 52, 14.—II. Transf., as a mere complementary or explanatory particle, to wit, namely (class.;
whereas scilicet in this sense is only post-Aug.): caste jubet lex adire ad deos, animo videlicet, Cic. Leg. 2, 10, 24: venisse tempus iis, qui in timore fuissent, conjuratos videlicet dicebat, ulciscendi se, id. Sest. 12, 28; cf. id. Rep. 1, 38, 60: quale de Homero scribit Ennius, de quo videlicet saepissime vigilans solebat cogitare et loqui, id. ib. 6, 10, 10.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
vidēlicet adv.
for videre licet, one may see, it is evident, clearly, obviously, plainly, evidently, manifestly, naturally, of course: hic de nostris verbis errat videlicet, Quae hic sumus locuti, T.: nihil dolo factum . . . Iugurthae, cui videlicet speculanti iter suum cognitum esset, S.: quid metuebant? vim videlicet.—In an ironical explanation, it is very plain, of course, forsooth: tuus videlicet salutaris consulatus, perniciosus meus: censuit pecunias eorum publicandas, videlicet timens, ne, etc., S.—As an explanatory particle, to wit, namely, of course: caste iubet lex adire ad deos, animo videlicet.
Origins
A contraction of vidēre licet (“[it] is permitted to see”). Cf. scīlicet.
In English words that came into English from vidēlicet
- videlicetvidēlicet