LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

altus1

altus (feminine alta, neuter altum, comparative altior, superlative altissimus, adverb altē)
Classical[ˈaɫ.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈal.tus]
№ 159 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectivetall, lofty; high (of measurement)
    clausi lateribus pedem altis86 BCE – c. 35 BCE, Gaius Sallustius Crispus, Historiae 4.39
    Supra epistylium conlocandi sunt triglyphi cum suis metopis, alti unius et dimidiati moduli, lati in fronte unius moduli,[…]c. 15 BCE, Vitruvius, De architectura 3.4
  2. adjectivedeep, profound
    Quod si scrobes fieri placeat, faciemus tribus pedibus altas, duobus semis latas, tribus longas.4th c./5th c. AD, Palladius, Opus agriculturae 2.10.3
  3. adjectiverareold, ancient, long gone
    Me quidem ad altiorem memoriam Oedipodis huc venientis et illo mollissimo carmine quaenam essent ipsa haec loca requirentis species quaedam commovit, inaniter scilicet, sed commovit tamen.45 BCE, Cicero, De finibus bonorum et malorum 5.3
    ‘Dēiphobe armipotēns, genus altō ā sanguine Teucrī, quis tam crūdēlīs optāuit sūmere poenās?[…]’29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 6.500–501
  4. adjectivehigh-born, lofty, noble
  5. adjectivehigh-minded, magnanimous, great
  6. adjectiveusuallydeep, sound
    Pax alta per omnes et tranquilla quies populos: nos praeda furentum61 CE – 65 CE, Lucanus, Pharsalia 1.249–251
  7. adjectiveusuallydeep, perfected, masterful
  8. adjectivedeep
    tanta moles labitur170 BCE – c. 86 BCE, Accius, Medea 1–2
  9. adjectivehigh, shrill, loud, clear
    tanta moles labitur170 BCE – c. 86 BCE, Accius, Medea 1–2
  10. adjectivedark, gloomy
    Coimus omnes in unum uidemusque non alta nocte circumdati nil apud uos, ut putatis, optabile, nil excelsum, nil splendidum, sed humilia cuncta et grauia et anxia et quotam partem luminis nostri cernentia!c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Consolatio ad Marciam 26.3

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quī longē ā terrā surgit; columna alta, mōns altus.
altus -a -um — in Mille Verba, Templum Graecum

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Altus · Editus · Procerus · Arduus · Celsus · Excelsus · Sublimis

1. Altus denotes, as a general expression, height or depth, as mathematical dimensions, in opp. to length and breadth, and, consequently, height, in opp. to humilis; Cic. Tusc. v. 13. 24. Orat 57. N. D. ii. 47, like ὑψηλός; editus denotes height, in opp. to planus, Tac. Ann. xv. 38: lastly, procerus denotes height or length in reference to growth. The altum has no measure and no limits; the editum has the bulk of a hill; the procerum has the bulk of a tree, the full stature of the human figure, and so forth. 2. Altus, editus, and procerus, denote height merely in relation to space; arduus means height, which is at the same time steep and inaccessible; thence, figuratively, ‘difficult, impossible;’ celsus, height, that thrusts itself out, and stretches upwards; thence, figuratively, ‘proud;’ excelsus and præcelsus, what overtops something that is itself high, hence ‘pre-eminent;’ sublimis, what is on high without touching the ground, soaring in the air, like μετέωρος; thence, figuratively, ‘grand,’ of an elevated nature. (ii. 99.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativealtusaltaaltum
genitivealtīaltaealtī
dativealtōaltaealtō
accusativealtumaltamaltum
ablativealtōaltāaltō
vocativealtealtaaltum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativealtīaltaealta
genitivealtōrumaltārumaltōrum
dativealtīsaltīsaltīs
accusativealtōsaltāsalta
ablativealtīsaltīsaltīs
vocativealtīaltaealta

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

oratio altius exaggerata
a bombastic style.
vela in altum dare (Liv. 25. 27)
to put to sea.
exsurgere altius or incitatius ferri
to take a higher tone (especially of poets and orators).
altissimis montibus undique contineri
to be shut in on all sides by very high mountains.
naves (classem) constituere (in alto)
to make fast boats to anchors.
aestus ex alto se incitat (B. G. 3.12)
the tide is coming in.
Nilus praecipitat ex altissimis montibus
the Nile rushes down from very high mountains.
hoc verbum alte descendit in pectus alicuius
what he said made a deep impression on...
4 more phrases
in altissimo dignitatis gradu collocatum, locatum, positum esse
to occupy a very high position in the state.
aliquem ex altissimo dignitatis gradu praecipitare (Dom. 37. 98)
to depose, bring down a person from his elevated position.
procella (tempestas) aliquem ex alto ad ignotas terras (oras) defert
the storm drives some one on an unknown coast.
longe, alte (longius, altius) repetere (either absolute or ab aliqua re)
to go a long way back (in narrative).

altus, a, um, participle from alo., lit.,
I. grown or become great, great (altus ab alendo dictus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 7 Müll.; cf. the Germ. gross with the Engl. grow), a polar word meaning both high and deep.
A. Seen from below upwards, high.
I. Lit.: IN ALTOD MARID PVCNANDOD, etc., Columna Duilii; so, maria alta, Liv. Andron. ap. Macr. S. 6, 5, 10; id. ib. ap. Prisc. p. 725 P.: aequor, Pac. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 23 Müll.: parietes, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44: sub ramis arboris altae, Lucr. 2, 30: acervus, id. 3, 198 al.: columellam tribus cubitis ne altiorem, Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 66: altior illis Ipsa dea est colloque tenus supereminet omnes, taller, Ov. M. 3, 181: altis de montibus, Verg. E. 1, 83: umbras Altorum nemorum, Ov. M. 1, 591 al.—With the acc. of measure: clausi lateribus pedem altis, a foot high, Sall. H. Fragm. 4, 39 Gerl.; cf. Lind. C. Gr. I. p. 215.—With gen.: triglyphi alti unius et dimidiati moduli, lati in fronte unius moduli, Vitr. 4, 3: majorem turrim altam cubitorum CXX., id. 10, 5: alta novem pedum, Col. 8, 14, 1: singula latera pedum lata tricenum, alta quinquagenum, Plin. 36, 13, 19, § 4.—
II. Trop., high, lofty, elevated, great, magnanimous, high-minded, noble, august, etc.: altissimus dignitatis gradus, Cic. Phil. 1, 6, 14; so id. Clu. 55; id. Dom. 37.—Of mind or thought: te natura excelsum quendam videlicet et altum et humana despicientem genuit, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: homo sapiens et altā mente praeditus, highminded, id. Mil. 8: qui altiore animo sunt, id. Fin. 5, 20, 57 al.—So of gods, or persons elevated in birth, rank, etc.; also of things personified: rex aetheris altus Juppiter, Verg. A. 12, 140: Apollo, id. ib. 10, 875: Caesar, Hor. C. 3, 4, 37: Aeneas, i. e. deā natus, id. S. 2, 5, 62: Roma, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 33: Carthago, Prop. 2, 1, 23 al.—Of the voice, high, shrill, loud, clear: Conclamate iterum altiore voce, Cat. 42, 18: haec fatus altā voce, Sen. Troad. 196: altissimus sonus, Quint. 11, 3, 23 (cf.: vox magna, Ov. Tr. 4, 9, 24; Juv. 4, 32).—Subst.: altum, i, n., a height: sic est hic ordo (senatorius) quasi propositus atque editus in altum, on high, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 41, § 98: aedificia in altum edita, Tac. H. 3, 71: quidquid in altum Fortuna tulit, ruitura levat, Sen. Agam. 100.—Esp.
(a). (Sc. caelum.) The height of heaven, high heaven, the heavens: ex alto volavit avis, Enn. Ann. 1, 108: haec ait, et Maiā genitum demisit ab alto, Verg. A. 1, 297.—Still more freq.,
(b). (Sc. mare.) The high sea, the deep, the sea: rapit ex alto navīs velivolas, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 224: ubi sumus provecti in altum, capiunt praedones navem illam, ubi vectus fui, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 39; so id. Men. 1, 2, 2; id. Rud. prol. 66; 2, 3, 64: terris jactatus et alto, Verg. A. 1, 3: in altum Vela dabant, id. ib. 1, 34: collectae ex alto nubes, id. G. 1, 324: urget ab alto Notus, id. ib. 1, 443 al.: alto mersā classe, Sil. 6, 665: ab illā parte urbis navibus aditus ex alto est, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 32: in alto jactari, id. Inv. 2, 31, 95: naves nisi in alto constitui non poterant, Caes. B. G. 4, 24: naves in altum provectae, id. ib. 4, 28: scapha in altum navigat, Sall. Fragm.—So in the plur.: alta petens, Verg. A. 7, 362.—Trop.: quam magis te in altum capessis, tam aestus te in portum refert, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 6: imbecillitas ... in altum provehitur imprudens, Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42: te quasi quidam aestus ingenii tui in altum abstraxit, id. de Or. 3, 36, 145.—
B. Seen from above downwards, deep, profound.
I. Lit. (hence sometimes opp. summus): Acherusia templa alta Orci, salvete, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, 2, 81; Cic. Tusc. 1, 21, 48: quom ex alto puteo sursum ad summum escenderis, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 14: altissimae radices, Cic. Phil. 4, 5: altae stirpes, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: altissima flumina, Caes. B. C. 3, 77: altior aqua, id. ib. 1, 25: alta theatri Fundamenta, Verg. A. 1, 427: gurgite in alto, in the deep whirlpool, id. E. 6, 76: altum vulnus, id. A. 10, 857; Petr. 136; Sen. Troad. 48: altum totā metitur cuspide pectus, Sil. 4, 292; so id. 6, 580 al.: unde altior esset Casus, Juv. 10, 106.—With the abl. of measure: faciemus (scrobes) tribus pedibus altas, Pall. Jan. 10, 3.—
II. Trop. (more freq. in and after the Aug. per.), deep, profound: somno quibus est opus alto, Hor. S. 2, 1, 8; so Liv. 7, 35: sopor, Verg. A. 8, 27: quies, id. ib. 6, 522: silentium, id. ib. 10, 63; Quint. 10, 3, 22: altissima tranquillitas, Plin. Ep. 2, 1: altissima eruditio, id. ib. 4, 30: altiores artes, Quint. 8, 3, 2.—Subst.: altum, i, n., the depth, i. e. what is deep or far removed: ex alto dissimulare, Ov. Am. 2, 4, 16: non ex alto venire nequitiam, sed summo, quod aiunt, animo inhaerere, Sen. Ira, 1, 16 med. al.—Hence, ex alto repetere, or petere, in discourse, to bring from far; as P. a., farfetched: quae de nostris officiis scripserim, quoniam ex alto repetita sunt, Cic. Fam. 3, 5: quid causas petis ex alto? Verg. A. 8, 395 (cf.: alte repetere in the same sense, Cic. Sest. 13; id. Rep. 4, 4, and v. al. infra).—
C. Poet., in reference to a distant (past) time: cur vetera tam ex alto appetissis discidia, Agamemno? Att. ap. Non. 237, 22 (altum: vetus, antiquum, Non.); cf. Verg. G. 4, 285.—With the access. idea of venerable (cf. antiquus), ancient, old: genus alto a sanguine Teucri, Verg. A. 6, 500: Thebanā de matre nothum Sarpedonis alti, id. ib. 9, 697; genus Clauso referebat ab alto, Ov. F. 4, 305: altā gente satus, Val. Fl. 3, 202: altis inclitum titulis genus, Sen. Herc. Fur. 338.—Adv.: altē, and very rarely altum, high, deep (v. supra, altus, P. a. init.).
A. High, on high, high up, from on high, from above (v. altus, P. a., A.).
I. Lit.: alte ex tuto prospectum aucupo, Att. Trag. Rel. p. 188 Rib.: colomen alte geminis aptum cornibus, id. ib. p. 221: alte jubatos angues, Naev. ib. p. 9: jubar erigere alte, Lucr. 4, 404: roseā sol alte lampade lucens, id. 5, 610: in vineā ficos subradito alte, ne eas vitis scandat, Cato, R. R. 50: cruentum alte extollens pugionem, Cic. Phil. 2, 12, 28: non animadvertis cetarios escendere in malum alte, ut perspiciant pisces? Varr. ap. Non. 49, 15: (aër) tollit se ac rectis ita faucibus eicit alte, Lucr. 6, 689: dextram Entellus alte extulit, Verg. A. 5, 443: alte suras vincire cothurno, high up, id. ib. 1, 337: puer alte cinctus, Hor. S. 2, 8, 10, and Sen. Ep. 92: unda alte subjectat arenam, Verg. G. 3, 240: Nihil tam alte natura constituit, quo virtus non possit eniti, Curt. 7, 11, 10: alte maesti in terram cecidimus, from on high, Varr. ap. Non. 79, 16: eo calcem cribro succretam indito alte digitos duo, to the height of two fingers, Cato, R. R. 18, 7; so Col. R. R. 5, 6, 6.—Comp.: quae sunt humiliora neque se tollere a terrā altius possunt, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 37: tollam altius tectum, id. Har. Resp. 15, 33: altius praecincti, Hor. S. 1, 5, 5: pullus in arvis altius ingreditur, Verg. G. 3, 75: caput altius effert, id. ib. 3, 553: altius atque cadant imbres, id. E. 6, 38 ubi v. Forb.: altius aliquid tenere, Sen. Q. N. 1, 5.—Sup.: cum altissime volāsset (aquila), Suet. Aug. 94.—
II. Trop.: alte natus, Albin. 1, 379 (cf.: altus Aeneas, supra, P. a., A. II.): alte enim cadere non potest, Cic. Or. 28, 98: video te alte spectare, id. Tusc. 1, 34, 82; id. Rep. 6, 23, 25.—Comp.: altius se efferre, Cic. Rep. 6, 23, 25; 3, 3, 4: altius irae surgunt ductori, Verg. A. 10, 813: altius aliquid agitare, Cels. 1 prooem.: attollitur vox altius, Quint. 11, 3, 65: verbis altius atque altius insurgentibus, id. 8, 4, 27.— Sup.: Ille dies virtutem Catonis altissime illuminavit, Vell. 2, 35: ingenium altissime adsurgit, Plin. Ep. 8, 4.—
B. Deep, deeply (v. altus, P. a. B.).
I. Lit.: ablaqueato ficus non alte, Cato, R. R. 36: ferrum haud alte in corpus descendere, Liv. 1, 41: alte vulnus adactum, Verg. A. 10, 850; Ov. M. 6, 266; Curt. 4, 6, 18; Cels. 5, 26, 30: timidum caput abdidit alte, Verg. G. 3, 422: alte consternunt terram frondes, deeply strew, id. A. 4, 443: ut petivit Suspirium alte! Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 58 (cf.: ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab imo, Verg. A. 1, 485): inter cupam pertundito alte digitos primorīs tres, Cato, R. R. 21, 2: minimum alte pedem, Col. de Arb. 30.—Comp.: ne radices altius agant, Col. 5, 6, 8: terra altius effossa, Quint. 10, 3, 2: cum sulcus altius esset impressus, Cic. Div. 2, 23, 50: frigidus imber Altius ad vivum persedit, Verg G. 3, 441: tracti altius gemitus, Sen. Ira, 3, 4, 2.— Sup.: (latronibus gladium) altissime demergo, App. M. 2, 32.—
II. Trop., deeply, profoundly, far, from afar: privatus ut altum Dormiret, Juv. 1, 16: alte terminus haerens, Lucr. 1, 77: longo et alte petito prooemio respondere, Cic. Clu. 21, 58: ratio alte petita, Quint. 11, 1, 62: alte et a capite repetis, quod quaerimus, Cic. Leg. 1, 6, 18; id. Rep. 4, 4, 4; id. Sest. 13, 31.—Comp.: qui altius perspiciebant, had a deeper insight, Cic. Verr. 1, 7, 19: quae principia sint, repetendum altius videtur, must be sought out more deeply, id. Off. 1, 16: altius repetitae causae, Quint. 11, 1, 62: de quo si paulo altius ordiri ac repetere memoriam religionis videbor, Cic. Verr. 4, 105: Hisce tibi in rebus latest alteque videndum, Lucr. 6, 647: altius supprimere iram, Curt. 6, 7, 35: altius aliquem percellere, Tac. A. 4, 54: altius metuere, id. ib. 4, 41: altius animis maerere, id. ib. 2, 82: cum verbum aliquod altius transfertur, Cic. Or. 25, 82: Altius omnem Expediam primā repetens ab origine famam, Verg. G. 4, 285; so, Tac. H. 4, 12: altius aliquid persequi, Plin. 2, 23, 31, § 35: hinc altius cura serpit, id. 4, 11, 13, § 87.— Sup.: qui vir et quantus esset, altissime inspexi, Plin. Ep. 5, 15, 5.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eltós
  3. Proto-Italic*altos
  4. Latinaltus

Inherited from Proto-Italic *altos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós, a verbal adjective from the root *h₂el- (“grow, nourish”); compare Proto-Germanic *aldaz, whence English old. Perfect passive participle of alō.

Descendants
  • Catalanalt
  • Frenchhautfrom Old French halt
  • Italianalto
  • Englishaltofrom Italian alto
  • GermanAltfrom Italian alto
  • Occitannaut
  • Occitanaut
  • Spanishaltofrom Old Spanish alto
  • Portuguesealtofrom Old Galician-Portuguese outo
  • Romanianînalt
verbfirst/second-declension participle
altus2
altus (feminine alta, neuter altum)
Classical[ˈaɫ.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈal.tus]
№ 159 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. participlenourished, having been nourished
  2. participlefed, having been fed, maintained, having been maintained, developed, having been developed
  3. participlekept, having been kept, supplied with necessities, having been supplied with necessities, supported financially, having been supported financially

altus, ūs, m. alo,
I. a nourishing, support: terrae altu, Macr. S. 1, 20 fin.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eltós
  3. Proto-Italic*altos
  4. Latinaltus

Inherited from Proto-Italic *altos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós, a verbal adjective from the root *h₂el- (“grow, nourish”); compare Proto-Germanic *aldaz, whence English old. Perfect passive participle of alō.

Quick answers

What does altus mean in Latin?
altus, a adjective, means “old, ancient, long gone; high-born, lofty, noble; high-minded, magnanimous, great”.
How do you pronounce altus?
In classical Latin, [ˈaɫ.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈal.tus].
Where does altus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- → Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós → Proto-Italic *altos → Latin altus.