lícita

Lícita is the feminine singular form of the adjective lícito in Spanish and Portuguese, meaning lawful, legitimate, or permitted by law or rules. It is used to describe actions, claims, or statuses that are authorized by legal or normative frameworks, in contrast to illicit or illicitas terms.

The word derives from Latin licitus, from licēre “to be permitted,” and has evolved through the Romance languages to describe what is allowed within a jurisdiction or ethical code. In practice, lícito appears in legal, administrative, and everyday contexts, often in constructions such as actividad lícita, contrato lícito, or fines lícitos.

In Spanish and Portuguese, lícito has gender and number agreement: lícito (masculine), lícita (feminine), lícitos (masculine plural), lícitas (feminine plural). The adverbial form is lícitamente in Portuguese and seguidamente in other contexts, while the related opposite term is ilícito, meaning illegal or illicit.

Usage notes and examples: “actividades lícitas” refers to permitted activities, “contratos lícitos” to lawful contracts, and “fines lícitos” to legitimate purposes. In legal writing, a distinction is often made between conduct lícito and conduct ilícito to determine compliance with law.

See also: ilícito, licitud(e); licitude, a related English noun referring to the quality of being licit or lawful. While lícita can appear as a given name in some cultures, its primary usage remains adjectival, describing legality or permissibility.