licit

adjective

ˈli-sət How to pronounce licit (audio)
Definition of licitnext
as in legitimate
permitted by law law enforcement agencies are demanding stricter regulation of the sale of licit medications that can later be used in the home manufacture of illicit drugs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word licit different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of licit are lawful, legal, and legitimate. While all these words mean "being in accordance with law," licit applies to a strict conformity to the provisions of the law and applies especially to what is regulated by law.

the licit use of drugs by doctors

When is it sensible to use lawful instead of licit?

The words lawful and licit can be used in similar contexts, but lawful may apply to conformity with law of any sort (such as natural, divine, common, or canon).

the lawful sovereign

In what contexts can legal take the place of licit?

While in some cases nearly identical to licit, legal applies to what is sanctioned by law or in conformity with the law, especially as it is written or administered by the courts.

legal residents of the state

Where would legitimate be a reasonable alternative to licit?

Although the words legitimate and licit have much in common, legitimate may apply to a legal right or status but also, in extended use, to a right or status supported by tradition, custom, or accepted standards.

a perfectly legitimate question about taxes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of licit The cash was used to buy gold, which was then shipped to Dubai and sold, thus entering the licit economy. — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 Bowyer’s co-workers became clients of his bookmaking operation, the line between his licit and illicit earnings becoming so porous as to feel nonexistent. — David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025 Saulnier’s script suggests his thorough research into the fine points of police procedure, licit and illicit, and likewise into the intricacies of judicial authority and hand-to-hand combat (including minutiae about firearms and ammunition). — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024 In Guerrero, more than 65% live in poverty, and around 40 criminal groups operate in different licit and illicit activities, according to the International Crisis Group. — Karol Suárez, The Courier-Journal, 25 Apr. 2024 In trying to please its senior ranks, the army has allowed officers to benefit from criminal enterprises—the army helps preside over Myanmar’s licit and illicit economies. — Avinash Paliwal, Foreign Affairs, 24 Jan. 2024 But animals’ taste for human goods — licit and illicit — can also bring trouble for them and for us. — Emily Anthes, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023 The only morally licit treatment of an ectopic pregnancy, for a Catholic, besides watch and wait, is the salpingectomy, on the basis that the demise of the pregnancy is an indirect effect of acting to preserve the mother’s life. — Joanna Petrone, Longreads, 18 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licit
  1. legitimate
  2. legal
  3. lawful
Adjective
  • The Ukrainian government has said the facilities are legitimate military targets because the company supplies Russia’s frontline troops.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But perhaps no option is as intriguing as Trice, a legitimate wildcard who’s played roughly 50 preseason snaps and nothing else in his professional career.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of legitimate
Adjective
  • Investigators were able to trace the gun to a legal purchase in Keene, New Hampshire, made by one of the straw purchasers of the scheme, according to the detention memo.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Features like autoplay, infinite scroll and algorithmic content recommendations have been the prime targets of legal arguments that social media platforms are designed to be addictive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of legal
Adjective
  • But the process is not seamless, and the sudden loss of authorizations often leaves the once lawful immigrant in limbo.
    — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The court must now decide whether agents acted within their lawful authority.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of lawful

Browse Nearby Words

licentiousness
licit
lick
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Cite this Entry

“Licit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licit. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on licit

Nglish: Translation of licit for Spanish Speakers

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