No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit.
Source: tatoeba (2654442)
Licit
/ˈlɪs.ɪt/
Synonyms for "licit" (54 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (11)
Strong matches (16)
Adjective(3 words)
Noun(2 words)
lawfully permittedlegal act
Related words (27)
Noun(3 words)
legal documentmore lawfulmost lawful
Adjective(7 words)
Adverb(1 words)
more swedish lag
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: lawful, acceptable, actionable, admissible, allowable.
- Sentence evidence is available for licit, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "licit".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "licit"
Keep "licit" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "licit" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "licit", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "licit" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
4 entriesCollocations
6 entrieslicit activitieslicit data sourceslicit marketlicit procedureslicit purposelicit use
Inflections
2 entriesmore licitmost licit
Derivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
5 total sentences available.
Undated, Pope Honorius III Solet Annuere (anonymous translator), Let it not be in any way licit to anyone among men to infringe this page of our confirmation, or to contravene it with rash daring.
Source: wiktionary
You seem to have been very much offended because your father talks a little sculduddery after dinner, which it is perfectly licit for him to do, and which (although I am not very fond of it myself) appears to be entirely an affair of taste.
Source: wiktionary
[T]he vanity of efforts to deter humanity from following this licit and highly profitable mobility, clearly indicate the limits of their [leaders'] power.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "licit"?
Closest matches include lawful, acceptable, actionable, admissible, allowable.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "licit"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.