in flagrante delicto

Definition

In the act of committing a misdeed.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Medieval Latin in flagrante delicto (literally “while the crime is blazing”), from in + flāgrō (“burn”) + dēlictō, form of dēlīctum (“crime, misdeed”).

Example Sentences

• "He would be caught in flagrante delicto, and, with a heavy sentence hovering over him, he would probably be induced to name his accomplice."
• "We've already established that you were one of Miss Scarlet's clients. That's why you were so desperate to get your hands on those negatives. Photographs of you and Yvette in flagrante delicto, remember?"
• "I would add to that the fact that, if we are happy to be caught in flagrante delicto in a picturesque setting, there would be something almost humiliating about being caught somewhere as ugly as that."