placitum

Placitum is a Latin noun (neuter; plural placita) deriving from placere, meaning to please. In its basic sense it referred to a thing that is pleasing or agreeable, but in practice the term developed a more formal usage in ancient and medieval contexts.

In classical Latin, placitum could denote a decree, decision, or order issued by a person of authority, as well as a pleasing outcome or agreement reached by parties. The sense evolved over time to emphasize formal arrangements rather than mere satisfaction.

In medieval Latin, placitum acquired a specialized legal meaning. It came to signify a formal agreement, stipulation, or settlement between parties, often recorded in charters or diplomatic documents. The plural placita was used to indicate such agreements or, in some contexts, matters brought before a court for judgment—essentially pleas or issues to be argued in a legal proceeding.

In modern scholarly usage, placitum is primarily of historical or philological interest. It is seldom employed in everyday Latin or in contemporary legal language, but it appears in discussions of Latin vocabulary, medieval law, and the transmission of legal concepts into Romance languages and English. The term illustrates how a word for “pleasing” narrowed into meanings tied to formal decisions, accords, and legal pleas.

See also: placita, placere, pleum? No. See also the related Latin noun placitum’s modern reception in legal and philological literature.