noun · femininethird declension
vīs
vīs f (genitive vīs)
Classical[ˈwiːs]Ecclesiastical[ˈvis]
№ 115 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- singularpower; influence; strength; faculty; potency
vis dicendi
oratorical powermagnam vim habere ad aliquid
to have considerable influence on a question - singularviolence; overwhelming force; coercion; assault; force of arms
Ō et erat longē mea quidem sententia, / quī imperium crēdat gravius esse et stabilius / vī quod fit quam illud quod amīcitia adiungitur.
Oh and it’s really going too far, in my opinion, when anyone believes a command which is made by force to be more weighty and durable than that which is joined with affection.160 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Adelphoe 65–67the Wikipedia page Martin Luther on Catholic church reform Nōn vī, sed verbō.
Not through violence, but the word. - figurativelysingularmeaning; significance; nature (essence and value of a word)
quae est vis huius verbi?
what is the meaning, the original sense of this word?vis et notio verbi, vocabuli
the fundamental meaning of a word - figurativelysingularassault; affront
- figurativelysingularquantity; flood
frumenti vim maximam comparare
to procure a very large supply of cornvim lacrimarum effundere, profundere
to burst into a flood of tears - New Latinsingularenergy; force
- New Latinsingularforce
Sit vīs tēcum.
May the Force be with you. - in pluralstrength; might; vigor; capability (physical)
omnibus vīribus
with all his strength; with all her might; with all their forcevires corporis
bodily strength
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
potestās corporis; quī validus est, magnās vīrēs habet.vīrēs -ium f pl — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum
quod valdē potest: vīs virī, vīs ventī; vī = per vim.vīs vis f — in Mille Verba, Certāmina Gymnica
potestās corporis et animīvīrēs -ium (f) — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 1
potestās sine iūrevīs, vim, vī (f) — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 2
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | vīs | vīrēs vīs |
| genitive | vīs | vīrium |
| dative | vī | vīribus |
| accusative | vim | vīrēs vīrīs, vīs |
| ablative | vī | vīribus |
| vocative | vīs | vīrēs vīs |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- vires colligere
- to gain strength.
- vim vi depellere
- to meet force by force.
- bonis esse viribus
- to be robust, vigorous.
- vires consenescunt
- to become old and feeble.
- vim inferre alicui
- to do violence to a person.
- dum vires suppetunt
- as long as one's strength holds out.
- vires aliquem deficiunt
- to lose strength.
- manus, vim sibi afferre
- to lay hands on oneself.
15 more phrases
- vi vim illatam defendere
- to meet force by force.
- res spectat ad vim (arma)
- there seems a prospect of armed violence; things look like violence.
- vim adhibere, facere alicui
- to use violence against some one.
- pro viribus or pro mea parte
- as well as I can; to the best of my ability.
- magnam vim habere ad aliquid
- to have considerable influence on a question.
- vires corporis or merely vires
- bodily strength.
- frumenti vim maximam comparare
- to procure a very large supply of corn.
- pro viribus eniti et laborare, ut
- to strain every nerve, do one's utmost in a matter.
- collatis signis (viribus) pugnare
- to fight hand-to-hand, at close quarters.
- iter tentare per vim (cf. sect. II. 3)
- to force a way, a passage.
- omnibus viribusor nervis contendere, ut
- to strain every nerve, do one's utmost in a matter.
- vim et manus afferre alicui (Catil. 1. 8. 21)
- to kill with violence.
- lacrimas, vim lacrimarum effundere, profundere
- to burst into a flood of tears.
- omni ope atque opera or omni virium contentione eniti, ut
- to strain every nerve, do one's utmost in a matter.
- ad vim et arma descendere (vid. sect. V. 9, note Similarly...)
- to have recourse to force of arms.
vīs, vis, f., plur. vīres, ĭum (class. only in nom., acc. and
I. abl. sing. and in plur.; gen. sing. very rare; Tac. Or. 26; Dig. 4, 2, 1; Paul. Sent. 5, 30; dat. sing. vi, Auct. B. Afr. 69, 2; C. I. L. 5, 837; collat. form of the nom. and acc. plur. vis, Lucr. 3, 265; 2, 586; Sall. ap. Prisc. p. 707, or H. 3, 62 Dietsch; Messala ap. Macr. S. 1, 9, 14) [Gr. ἴς, ϝις, sinew, force; ἶφι, with might], strength, physical or mental; force, vigor, power, energy, virtue (cf. robur).
I. Lit.
1. In gen.
(a). Sing.:
celeritas et vis equorum, Cic. Div. 1, 70, 144: magna vis eorum (urorum) et magna velocitas, Caes. B. G. 6, 28: contra vim atque impetum fluminis, id. ib. 4, 17: tempestatis, id. B. C. 2, 14: venti, Lucr. 1, 271: solis, id. 4, 326 (301): horrida teli, id. 3, 170: acris vini, id. 3, 476: ferri aerisque, id. 5, 1286: veneni, Cic. Cael. 24, 58 et saep.—(b). Plur. (most freq. of physical strength):
non viribus aut velocitatibus aut celeritate corporum res magnae geruntur, Cic. Sen. 6, 17: nec nunc vires desidero adulescentis, non plus quam adulescens tauri aut elephanti desiderabam, id. ib. 9, 27: hoc ali vires nervosque confirmari putant, Caes. B. G. 6, 21: me jam sanguis viresque deficiunt, id. ib. 7, 50 fin.: perpauci viribus confisi transnatare contenderunt, id. ib. 1, 53: nostri integris viribus fortiter repugnare, id. ib. 3, 4: lacertis et viribus pugnare, Cic. Fam. 4, 7, 2: omnibus viribus atque opibus repugnare, id. Tusc. 3, 11, 25: non animi solum vigore sed etiam corporis viribus excellens, Liv. 9, 16, 12: validis viribus hastam contorquere, Verg. A. 2, 50: quicquid agas, decet agere pro viribus, with all your might, Cic. Sen. 9, 27; so, supra vires, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 22: et neglecta solent incendia sumere vires, id. ib. 1, 18, 85: seu virium vi seu exercitatione multā cibi vinique capacissimus, Liv. 9, 16, 13; cf.: in proelii concursu abit res a Consilio ad vires vimque pugnantium, Nep. Thras. 1, 4 dub. (Siebel. vires usumque).—Poet., with inf.: nec mihi sunt vires inimicos pellere tectis, Ov. H. 1, 109.—2. In partic.
a. Energy, virtue, potency (of herbs, drugs, etc.):
in radices vires oleae abibunt, Cato, R. R. 61, 1: vires habet herba? Ov. M. 13, 942: egregius fons Viribus occultis adjuvat, Juv. 12, 42. —c. Hostile strength, force, violence, = βία: EA POENA, QVAE EST DE VI, S. C. ap. Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5:
cum vi vis illata defenditur, Cic. Mil. 4, 9; cf.: celeri rumore dilato Dioni vim allatam, Nep. Dion, 10, 1: ne vim facias ullam in illam, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 37: sine vi facere, id. ib. 4, 7, 20: vim afferre alicui, Cic. Caecin. 21, 61; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 24, § 62; 2, 4, 66, § 148: adhibere, id. Off. 3, 30, 110; id. Cat. 1, 8, 19: praesidio tam valido et armato vim adferre, Liv. 9, 16, 4: iter per vim tentare, by force, forcibly, Caes. B. G. 1, 14; so, per vim, id. B. C. 2, 13; Cic. Att. 7, 9, 4: ne id quidem satis est, nisi docet, ita se possedisse nec vi nec clam nec precario possederit, id. Caecin. 32, 92; so the jurid. formula in Lex Thoria ap. Grut. 202, 18; Dig. 41, 1, 22; Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 28: vis haec quidem hercle est, et trahi et trudi simul, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 92; Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 20: naves totae factae ex robore ad quamvis vim et contumeliam perferendam (shortly afterwards: tantas tempestates Oceani tantosque impetus ventorum sustineri), violence, shock, Caes. B. G. 3, 13: caeli, a storm, tempest, Plin. 18, 28, 69, § 278.—To avoid the gen. form (v. supra): de vi condemnati sunt, Cic. Phil. 2, 2, 4: de vi reus; id. Sest. 35, 75; id. Vatin. 17, 41: ei qui de vi itemque ei qui majestatis damnatus sit, id. Phil. 1, 9, 23; cf. id. ib. 1, 9, 21 sq. Halm ad loc.; Tac. A. 4, 13.—d. In mal. part., force, violence: pudicitiam cum eriperet militi tribunus militaris ... interfectus ab eo est, cui vim adferebat, Cic. Mil. 4, 9:
matribus familias vim attulisse, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 24, § 62: vis allata sorori, Ov. A. A. 1, 679: victa nitore dei vim passa est, id. M. 4, 233: vim passa est Phoebe, id. A. A. 1, 679.—B. Transf., concr.
1. Quantity, number, abundance (cf.: copia, multitudo); with gen.:
quasi retruderet hominum me vis invitum, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 66: innumerabilis servorum, Cic. Har. Resp. 11, 22: in pompā cum magna vis auri argentique ferretur, Cic. Tusc. 5, 32, 91: vis magna pulveris, Caes. B. C. 2, 26: vis maxima ranunculorum, Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 3: argenti, id. Prov. Cons. 2, 4: vim lacrimarum profudi, id. Rep. 6, 14, 14: odora canum vis, Verg. A. 4, 132; cf. absol.: et nescio quomodo is, qui auctoritatem minimam habet, maximam vim, populus cum illis facit, Cic. Fin. 2, 14, 44.—2. Vires, military forces, troops:
praeesse exercitui, ut praeter auctoritatem vires quoque ad coërcendum haberet, Caes. B. C. 3, 57: satis virium ad certamen, Liv. 3, 60, 4: undique contractis viribus signa cum Papirio conferre, id. 9, 13, 12: robur omne virium ejus regni, the flower, id. 33, 4, 4: concitet et vires Graecia magna suas, Ov. H. 15 (16), 340.—3. Vires, the virile forces or organs, Arn. 5, 158; 5, 163; Inscr. Orell. 2322; 2332:
veluti castratis viribus, Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 60; cf.: vis (= vires) multas possidere in se, Lucr. 2, 586.—Rarely sing.: vis genitalis, Tac. A. 6, 18.—II. Trop.
A. Mental strength, power, force, vigor:
vis illa divina et virtus oratoris, Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 120: vis ac facultas oratoris, id. ib. 1, 31, 142: suavitatem Isocrates ... sonitum Aeschines, vim Demosthenes habuit, id. ib. 3, 7, 28: summa ingenii, id. Phil. 5, 18, 49: magna vis est conscientiae in utramque partem, id. Mil. 23, 61: magna vis est in fortunā in utramque partem, id. Off. 2, 6, 19: patriae, id. de Or. 1, 44, 196: quod ostentum habuit hanc vim, ut, etc., power, effect, id. Div. 1, 33, 73: qui indignitate suā vim ac jus magistratui quem gerebat dempsisset, Liv. 26, 12, 8: hujus conventionis, Dig. 43, 25, 12.—Plur. (post-Aug.): eloquentiae, Quint. 5, 1, 2: facilitatis, id. 12, 9, 20: ingenii, id. 1, 2, 23; 12, 1, 32: orationis, id. 8, 3, 87.—B. Transf., of abstr. things, force, notion, meaning, sense, import, nature, essence (cf. significatio):
id, in quo est omnis vis amicitiae, Cic. Lael. 4, 15: eloquentiae vis et natura, id. Or. 31, 112: vis honesti (with natura), id. Off. 1, 6, 18; cf. id. Fin. 1, 16, 50: virtutis, id. Fam. 9, 16, 5: quae est alia vis legis? id. Dom. 20, 53: vis, natura, genera verborum et simplicium et copulatorum, i.e. the sense, signification, id. Or. 32, 115: vis verbi, id. Inv. 1, 13, 17; id. Balb. 8, 21: quae vis insit in his paucis verbis, si attendes, si attendes, intelleges, id. Fam. 6, 2, 3: quae vis subjecta sit vocibus, id. Fin. 2, 2, 6: nominis, id. Top. 8, 35: μετωνυμία, cujus vis est, pro eo, quod dicitur, causam, propter quam dicitur, ponere, Quint. 8, 6, 23.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
vīs (gen. vīs, late), —, acc. vim, abl. vī, f plur. vīrēs, ium
cf. ἴς, strength, force, vigor, power, energy, virtue: celeritas et vis equorum: plus vis habeat quam sanguinis, Ta.: contra vim atque impetum fluminis, Cs.: veneni.—Plur. (usu. of bodily strength): non viribus corporum res magnae geruntur: me iam sanguis viresque deficiunt, Cs.: corporis viribus excellens, L.: validis viribus hastam Contorsit, V.: agere pro viribus, with all your might: supra vires, H.: seu virium vi seu exercitatione multā cibi vinique capacissimus, L.: Nec mihi sunt vires inimicos pellere tectis, O.— Hostile strength, force, violence, compulsion: vis est haec quidem, T.: cum vi vis inlata defenditur: celeri rumore dilato Dioni vim adlatam, N.: sine vi facere, T.: matribus familias vim adferre: iter per vim tentare, by force, Cs.: civem domum vi et armis compulit: de vi condemnati sunt: quaestiones vel de caede vel de vi.—Energy, virtue, potency: vires habet herba? O.: egregius fons Viribus occultis adiuvat, Iu.—A quantity, number, abundance: mellis maxima: magna auri argentique: pulveris, Cs.—Plur, military forces, troops: praeesse exercitui, ut vires ad coërcendum haberet, Cs.: robur omne virium eius regni, the flower, L.: Concitet et vires Graecia magna suas, O.—Fig., mental strength, power, force, energy, vigor, influence: oratoris: conscientiae: quod ostentum habuit hanc vim, ut, etc., effect: qui indignitate suā vim ac ius magistratui quem gerebat dempsisset, L.—Force, notion, meaning, sense, import, nature, essence: id, in quo est omnis vis amicitiae: verborum, i. e. the signification: quae vis insit in his paucis verbis, si attendes, intelleges.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *wīs, from Proto-Indo-European *wéyHs (“force, strength”), sometimes derived from *weyh₁- (“to rush”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ῑ̓́ς (ī́s, “strength”, < *ϝῑ́ς (*wī́s)), Sanskrit वय॑स् (váyas, “vigor; youth; age”). See also via, invītus, invītō, Ancient Greek οἶμος (oîmos).
Descendants
- Englishvis
- Englishvim