Delicto

/dɛˈlɪktoʊ/ noun

Definition

A Latin ablative case form of delictum, used in legal phrases meaning 'in the crime' or 'in the act,' as in 'in delicto' or 'caught in delicto.'

Etymology

Latin ablative singular of delictum, the case form indicating location or condition, used in formal legal Latin expressions that describe the moment or place of wrongdoing.

Kelly Says

English speakers encounter 'delicto' most often in the phrase 'caught in flagrante delicto' (caught red-handed), a legal phrase so common in crime fiction that it's become part of our cultural vocabulary even though most speakers don't know it's Latin.

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