What does videlicet mean?
Videlicet is a formal adverb meaning “namely” or “that is to say.” It is used when a writer or speaker is about to make explicit what has just been referred to, most often by listing names, categories, examples, or qualifications. Because it comes directly from Latin and retains that language’s form, it is usually italicized and often placed in parentheses, although modern writers may use it without parentheses. The word is uncommon in everyday English but remains familiar in legal, scholarly, and technical prose, where it can provide a concise transition without repeating “that is to say.” Its air of precision can also add a formal or slightly literary tone, so a plainer synonym may be preferable in general communication. Videlicet is especially interesting as a compact surviving Latin formula: it does not name an object or action itself, but signals that an explanation or enumeration follows.
adverbNamely; that is to say. It introduces an explicit explanation, qualification, or enumeration of something just stated.
- Namely; that is to say, especially when introducing an explicit list, explanation, or clarification.
"The inquiry covered two matters, videlicet, the source of the funds and the intended recipients."
"The inquiry covered two matters, videlicet, the source of the funds and the intended recipients."
"Her taste in architecture can be described as austere; videlicet, clean-lined and deliberately undecorated."
Videlicet is Latin for “namely”—a tiny translator’s note hiding in plain sight.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of videlicet
The word comes from Latin videlicet, historically formed from elements meaning “see” and “it is permitted,” and was associated with the sense “see it” before serving as a particle meaning “that is to say.” English borrowed it as a scholarly and legal adverb. Other English words from the Latin root for “see,” vidēre, include video, vision, visible, and evidence.
How videlicet is actually used
This is a rare, formal Latin-derived term used chiefly in legal, scholarly, and technical writing. It is usually italicized and often set off by parentheses or semicolons, though modern usage need not follow either convention consistently. Its precision lends a somewhat literary tone, so a plainer synonym is often preferable in ordinary communication.