Obs. Forms: 4, 5 licenciat, -cyat, 6 liscenciat, 6–7 licenciate, -tiat, 6– licentiate. [ad. med.L. licentiāt-us, pa. pple. of licentiāre: see LICENTIATE v.]
1. Sc. Used as pa. pple. of LICENTIATE v.; equivalent to the later licentiated. a. Allowed, permitted. b. Licensed (to preach).
a. c. 1500. Bk. Precedence, in Q. Eliz. Acad. (1869), 101. All thingis be takin treuly as thai attest, ay liscenciat and lovit with al ledis.
1565. Calfhill, Treat. Crosse, ii. 52. Louain hath licenciate you, to make what lies ye lust.
1582–8. Hist. James VI. (1804), 283. The nobillmen … are for the maist part licentiat to liue a libertine life in thair youth.
1639. Drumm. of Hawth., Mem. State, Wks. (1711), 133. Certain verses … being afterwards licentiate to be read,… they were forgotten.
a. 1651. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1843), II. 2. The bands of Scotish men of warre … sall be brokin, and the men of warre licentiat to depart.
b. a. 1660. Hammond, in Colet’s Serm. Conf. & Ref. (1661), 29. Those that are … to be licentiate for publick preachers.
1676. W. Row, Contn. Blair’s Autobiog., xii. (1848), 530. Some ministers were licentiate by the Council.
2. adj. Freed from rules; assuming licence, unrestrained, licentious.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T. (1613), 163. The world would count me the most licentiat loose straier vnder heauen, if [etc.].
1597. Bp. Hall, Sat., I. ix. Our epigrammatarians, old and late, Were wont be blamed for too licentiate.
1602. T. Campion, Art Eng. Poetrie, 41. Neither let any man cavill at this licentiate abbreuiating of sillables.
1656. S. H., Golden Law, 39. All these miseries … your licentiate liberty, your freedom hath brought us to.
Hence † Licentiateness.
1656. S. H., Golden Law, 21. Licentiateness is not a liberty.
