Edictus

Edictus is a Latin term that can function as the masculine nominative singular form of the perfect passive participle of the verb edico (to declare, proclaim) and, in some contexts, as an adjective meaning "proclaimed" or "declared." In classical Latin, the more common noun for an official proclamation is edictum, which denotes the edict or decree itself. Edictus, when used, typically describes something that has been proclaimed or declared rather than naming the edict as an object.

In usage, edictus may appear in Latin texts as part of a larger description, often in legal, political, or ceremonial contexts. It can modify a noun to indicate a status resulting from proclamation (for example, something proclaimed or ordained). However, edictum remains the standard term for an official decree issued by a ruler or magistrate, and it appears frequently in Roman legal and administrative inscriptions and literature. The form edictus is thus encountered more rarely and is largely of grammatical or philological interest rather than a everyday stand‑alone term in ancient sources.

Modern discussions of Latin terminology commonly note the distinction between edictus as a participial form and edictum as the substantive noun for an edict. The English word edict derives from Latin edictum rather than directly from edictus. The term edictus is mainly of linguistic interest for those studying Latin grammar, historical legal language, and the stylistic use of participles in late antiquity and medieval Latin.