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videlicet

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin vidēlicet, which itself is a contraction of vidēre licet, meaning "it is permitted to see".

Pronunciation

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Often read out in translation as namely or to wit.

Adverb

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videlicet (not comparable)

  1. Namely, to wit, that is to say (used when clarifying or naming the preceding item or topic)
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
      Videlicet,a Brothell, or ſo forth.
    • 1993, Anthony Burgess, A Dead Man in Deptford[1], →ISBN:
      [] My father did speak much of the day he was not speedily to forget, videlicet May Day of 1517, when there was great apprentice rioting against insolent foreigners.

Usage notes

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Where videlicet is carefully distinguished from scilicet, viz. is used to provide glosses and sc. to provide omitted words or parenthetic clarification.

Synonyms

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Latin

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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A contraction of vidēre licet ([it] is permitted to see).[1] Cf. scīlicet.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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vidēlicet (not comparable)

  1. namely, to wit, that is to say
    • c. 1300, Tractatus de Ponderibus et Mensuris:
      Per Ordinacionem tocius regni Anglie fuit mensura Domini Regis composita videlicet quod denarius qui vocatur sterlingus rotundus & sine tonsura ponderabit triginta duo grana frumenti in medio Spice.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. clearly, evidently

References

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  • videlicet”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • videlicet”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • videlicet in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  1. ^ American Heritage Dictionary, 5th ed. "vi·del·i·cet". Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.