LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

adversārius1

adversārius (feminine adversāria, neuter adversārium)
Classical[ad.wɛrˈsaː.ri.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ad.verˈsaː.ri.us]

Meaning

  1. adjectiveadverse, hostile
    factiō adversāriathe opposition

In the readers how our graded readers gloss it

an opponent
adversārius — in Seneca, ch. XX

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Adversarius · Hostis · Inimicus

1. Adversarius is the generic term for every opposer, in the field, in politics, in a court of judicature, like ἀντιστάτης. Hostis (from ἔχθω) is ‘the enemy’ in the field, and war, opp. to pacatus. Cic. Rep. ii. 3. Sen. Q. N. vi. 7. like πολέμιος; inimicus, ‘an enemy’ in heart, opp. to amicus, like ἐχθρός. Cic. Man. 10. Pompeius sæpius cum hoste conflixit, quam quisquam cum inimico concertavit. Phil. xi. 1. Verr. i. 15. Curt. vii. 10. Liv. xxii. 39. Nescio an infestior hic adversarius, quam ille hostis maneat. 2. Hostilis and inimicus denote states of hatred become habitual qualities; infestus and infensus only as temporary states; infestus (ἀνασπαστός?) applies to a quiescent state of aversion, like disaffected, unkind, and thus it is applied to inanimate things that threaten hostility; infensus (from πένθος) denotes a passionate state of mind, like enraged, and is therefore applicable to persons only. Tac. Ann. xv. 28. Non infensum, nedum hostili odio Corbulonis nomen habebatur. Cic. Verr. iii. 24. Sall. Cat. 19. Sen. N. Q. iii. pr. Animus luxuriæ non adversus tantum, sed et infestus. Liv. ii. 20. Tarquinium infesto spiculo petit; Tarquinius infenso cessit hosti. (iv. 393.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeadversāriusadversāriaadversārium
genitiveadversāriīadversāriaeadversāriī
dativeadversāriōadversāriaeadversāriō
accusativeadversāriumadversāriamadversārium
ablativeadversāriōadversāriāadversāriō
vocativeadversārieadversāriaadversārium
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeadversāriīadversāriaeadversāria
genitiveadversāriōrumadversāriārumadversāriōrum
dativeadversāriīsadversāriīsadversāriīs
accusativeadversāriōsadversāriāsadversāria
ablativeadversāriīsadversāriīsadversāriīs
vocativeadversāriīadversāriaeadversāria

adversārĭus, a, um, adj. adversus.
I. Turned toward one or lying before one's eyes; hence, adversārĭa, ōrum (sc. scripta), in mercantile language, a book at hand in which all matters are entered temporarily as they occur, a waste-book, day-book, journal, memoranda, etc.: Quid est quod neglegenter scribamus adversaria? quid est. quod diligenter conficiamus tabulas? Qua de causa? Quia haec sunt menstrua, illae sunt aeternae: haec delentur statim, illae servantur sancte, etc., Cic. Rosc. Com. 2, 5 and 7.
II. Standing opposite or opposed to one, as an antagonist, in any kind of contest, in which the contending parties may be the best friends, e. g. in elections, auctions, discussions, etc. (cf. Doed. Syn. 4, 395; in gen., only of persons, while contrarius is used of things, Front. Differ. 2198 P.).
A. Adj.: tribunus seditiosis adversarius, Cic. Clu. 34, 94: vis juri adversaria, id. Caecin. 2: opinio oratori, id. de Or. 2, 37: duces, id. Phil. 3, 8: populus, adversarius, invidus etiam potentiae, in hostile opposition to those in power, Nep. Timoth. 3: factio, id. Phoc. 3: frater, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 63 al.—
B. Subst.: adversārĭus, i, m., an antagonist, opponent, adversary, an enemy, rival (the most usual class. signif. of the word): valentiorem nactus adversarium, Plaut. Capt. prol. 64: injuria adversariūm, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 14; cf. id. Ad. prol. 2: tribuni plebis illius adversarii, defensores mei, Cic. Mil. 15; so id. Quint. 2; id. Vatin. 1; id. Har. Resp. 16, 24; Nep. Dion. 7; Hor. S. 1, 9, 75.—Of wrestlers and other athletæ: pugiles etiam cum feriunt adversarium ... ingemiscunt, Cic. Tusc. 2, 23, 56; also, in auctions, of opposing bidders: res major est quam facultates nostrae praesertim adversario et cupido et locuplete, Cic. Att. 12, 43; cf. id. ib. 13, 31.—In Cic. also in the fem.: adversārĭa, ae: est tibi gravis adversaria constituta et parata, incredibilis quaedam exspectatio, id. Fam. 2, 4, 2; and in the neutr. plur.: adversārĭa, ōrum, the arguments, assertions of the antagonist, Cic. Or. 35, 122.!*? The histt. more freq. than Cic. and Hor. use adversarius like hostis for an enemy in war: adversarios in fuga esse, Nep. Them. 4: multitudo adversariorum, id. Dat. 6: montem occupat, ne forte cedentibus adversariis receptui foret, Sall. J. 50; Suet. Caes. 30, 36, 68; id. Dom. 1; Curt. 3, 11; Vulg. Deut. 20, 4; Aur. Vict. Vir. Illustr. 75, 8; 69, 2; cf. advosem in Fest. p. 25 Müll.

Origins

Latin adversus Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -ārius Latin adversārius From adversus + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives and agent nouns).

In English words that came into English from adversārius

  • adversaryadversārius
noun · masculinesecond declension
adversārius2
adversārius m (genitive adversāriī or adversārī)
Classical[ad.wɛrˈsaː.ri.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ad.verˈsaː.ri.us]

Meaning

  1. opponent, rival
  2. adversary, antagonist, enemy

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeadversāriusadversāriī
genitiveadversāriī
adversārī
adversāriōrum
dativeadversāriōadversāriīs
accusativeadversāriumadversāriōs
ablativeadversāriōadversāriīs
vocativeadversārieadversāriī

Origins

Latin adversus Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -ārius Latin adversārius From adversus + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives and agent nouns).

Descendants
  • Catalanadversari
  • Englishadversary
  • Frenchadversaire
  • Italianavversario
  • Portugueseadversário
  • Romanianadversar
  • Spanishadversario
  • Asturianadversariu
  • Middle Frenchadversierfrom Old French aversier
  • Franc-Comtoisavershouxfrom Old French aversier

Quick answers

What does adversārius mean in Latin?
adversārius, a adjective, means “adverse, hostile”.
How do you pronounce adversārius?
In classical Latin, [ad.wɛrˈsaː.ri.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ad.verˈsaː.ri.us].