flagrante delicto

adverb

fla·​gran·​te de·​lic·​to flə-ˌgrän-tē-di-ˈlik-(ˌ)tō 

-ˌgran-

: in flagrante delicto

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

flagrante delicto

adverb or adjective

fla·​gran·​te de·​lic·​to

flə-ˈgrän-tē-də-ˈlik-tō, -ˈgran-; flä-ˈgrän-tā-dā-ˈlēk-tō

: in the very act of committing a misdeed

was caught flagrante delicto

also : in the midst of sexual activity

Etymology

Medieval Latin, literally, while the crime is blazing