licere

Licere is a Latin verb meaning “to be permitted, to allow.” In classical Latin it is used primarily in an impersonal construction, most often in the form licet, which conveys the sense “it is permitted” or “it is allowed.” In this usage, the person who has permission is usually given in the dative, and the action that is permitted is expressed by an infinitive or a dependent clause.

A common way to express permission is with the impersonal form licet followed by a dative of the person and an infinitive: for example, Tibi licet ire means “you may go” or “it is permitted for you to go.” Another frequent pattern is Hoc tibi licet facere, “this you may do.” The verb can also appear in past tense to indicate that permission was granted in the past, for instance licuit mihi id facere, meaning “it was permitted for me to do that.”

In addition to licet, the infinitive form licere appears in non-impersonal uses and in various subordinate constructions in Latin grammar. The forms are typically limited and rely on periphrastic expressions to convey tense and aspect. Because licere is largely centered on the notion of permission rather than of doing the action itself, it commonly appears in legal, ethical, or narrative passages where granting or acknowledging allowance is the focal point.

Overall, licere functions as a small but important tool in Latin for expressing allowance, permission, or the sense that a particular action may be undertaken by someone. It is most recognizable in the stock impersonal phrase licet and its related dative-plus-infinitive constructions.