Levorotatory refers to a property of certain substances, particularly in chemistry, where they rotate plane-polarized light to the left or counterclockwise. This characteristic is often observed in chiral molecules, which are compounds that have non-superimposable mirror images. The term is derived from the Latin word "laevus," meaning left. In contrast to levorotatory substances, there are dextrorotatory substances that rotate light to the right or clockwise. The distinction between these two types is important in fields like organic chemistry and pharmacology, as the different orientations can lead to varying biological effects and interactions in living organisms.