Praevalent illicita
“Forbidden things prevail.”
Latin saying
What does “Praevalent illicita” mean?
Praevalent illicita translates as “Forbidden things prevail.”
What is forbidden often seems more attractive and wins out.
“Praevalent illicita” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Praevalent | they prevail, they gain the upper hand | third person plural, present indicative active, of praevaleo, “to be stronger, to prevail” |
| illicita | forbidden things | neuter plural nominative of the adjective illicitus, “not allowed, unlawful”, used as a noun; it is the subject of the verb |
How to pronounce “Praevalent illicita”
The two systems differ in praevalent (Classical “prye”, Church “preh”), in the c of illicita (hard k versus ch) and in the v (w versus v). The stress falls on the second syllable of praevalent and on the second syllable of illicita in Church Latin.
The story behind it
Word for word the saying is “forbidden things prevail”. The verb praevaleo is built from prae, “before, beyond”, and valeo, “to be strong”, so it means to be stronger than the rest.
No author is known for it, so it is best treated as an anonymous Latin saying of traditional wisdom rather than a line from a particular ancient work.
The thought is an old and widely shared observation about human nature: a ban tends to make the banned thing more tempting. Today the phrase is quoted as a short, dry comment on temptation or on the limits of prohibition.
How to use “Praevalent illicita”
It suits a wry caption about temptation, a quote for an essay on rules and human nature, or a tattoo or desk motto for someone who enjoys a bit of mischief. It reads best when the tone is ironic rather than solemn.
- Latin
- Praevalent illicita
- English
- Forbidden things prevail.
- Source
- Latin saying
- Era
- Traditional
- Theme
- Wisdom
Common mistakes
- It does not say that forbidden things are right or good. It says they tend to win out or seem more attractive.
- Illicita is a neuter plural noun here, so it takes the plural verb praevalent. Writing praevalet (singular) would be a grammar error unless you change illicita to a singular such as illicitum.
- Do not read illicita as a verb. It is an adjective used as a noun, and the only verb in the saying is praevalent.
- Praevalent is often misspelled as prevalent or pravalent. The classical spelling keeps the ae.
Questions about “Praevalent illicita”
What does “Praevalent illicita” mean literally?
“Forbidden things prevail.” Illicita means things that are not allowed, and praevalent means they are stronger or win out.
Who said “Praevalent illicita”?
No author is known. It is a traditional Latin saying, so it should not be credited to a named ancient writer.
How do you pronounce “Praevalent illicita”?
In Classical Latin it is prye-WAH-lent il-LIH-kih-tah. In Church Latin it is preh-VAH-lent il-LEE-chee-tah.
Is “Praevalent illicita” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. The plural verb agrees with the neuter plural subject illicita, and the spelling is correct. It is a short, grammatical sentence.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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