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
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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
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
Adjective
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The sheer human devastation witnessed by the half-dozen people pretending to eat their lunch in here could nullify any legitimate emotional experience within twenty city blocks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Rubio said Maduro was not a legitimate head of state, noting that more than 50 countries — including the United States, the European Union and most of Latin America — rejected the results of Venezuela’s disputed 2024 presidential election.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The case over access to the legal system was one of three federal lawsuits challenging practices at the immigration detention center.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In December, the Education Department entered into a settlement agreement with Missouri and the other states that brought the original legal challenge.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The rule would require in-person renewals with proof of lawful status such as a passport or an I-94/95A form.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Our residents were given accurate information, meaningful opportunities to engage, and a lawful referendum.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Licit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licit. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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