illicitæ

Illicitæ is a Latin-language term that appears in some medieval and patristic manuscripts as a feminine plural form related to the concept of something being illicit or forbidden. In scholarly usage, illicitæ is not a fixed technical term with a single, universal definition; rather, it is encountered as part of phrases or glosses that describe acts, practices, or categories judged to be prohibited by law, custom, or ecclesiastical authority.

Etymology and form: the root is the Latin adjective illicitus (forbidden, prohibited), with the abstract noun illicitās meaning illegality or illicitness. The form illicitæ, when it occurs in texts, represents a feminine plural variant that may appear in expressions referring to illicit acts, conditions, or states in the plural sense. The precise grammatical function depends on the surrounding noun it modifies, which could be acts (acta), practices (praxis), or other feminine nouns common in Latin legal and moral discourse.

Usage and contexts: in canon law, civil law, and moral theology, discussions of licit versus illicit actions were central. Illicitæ may function in quotations or doctrinal summaries to denote the bundle of acts deemed illicit within a particular jurisdiction or tradition. Because Latin manuscripts vary in spelling and form, illicitæ is encountered primarily in philological, textual, or historical studies rather than as a standardized legal category.

In modern scholarship, the term is of interest mostly for linguistic and historical reasons, illustrating how Latin authors articulated notions of legality and morality. Contemporary discussions more often render the concept as illegality or illicitness in English or reference specific illicit practices directly.

See also: illegality, illicit, canonical law, Roman law, Latin morphology.