# latae sententiae

> English word · Adjective

## Definitions
1. Of a penalty, coming into force as soon as a law is broken, by force of the law itself (such as excommunication for various specified offences).

## Etymology
From Latin latae sententiae (“of a sentence [already] passed”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/latae-sententiae