LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

campus

campus m (genitive campī)
Classical[ˈkam.pʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈkam.pus]
№ 391 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. masculineOpen flat level ground: a plain, a natural field
    ‘hoc’ ait ‘in campō’ (campumque ostendit) ‘habēbat“In this plain,” he says (and he shows me the plain), “a thrifty countrywoman was maintaining a little farm along with her sturdy husband.”8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 4.691–692
    Campus MārtiusThe Field of Mars
  2. literarymasculineAny flat or level surface
    ...campī natantēs...Plautus, Trin., 4, 1, 15
  3. masculinea specific plain or field north of Rome’s walls called the Campus Mārtius, where the comitia centuriata were held
    Cum proximīs comitiīs cōnsulāribus mē cōnsulem in campō et competītōrēs tuōs interficere voluistī, compressī cōnātūs tuōs nefāriōs amīcōrum praesidiō et cōpiīs, nūllō tumultū pūblicē concitātō; […].When, at the last consular elections, you wished to kill me, the consul, and your competitors in the Campus Martius, I suppressed your wicked attempts by means of the protection and forces of my friends without any disturbance being excited publicly.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.11
  4. masculineA field of action: scope
  5. masculineA field of debate: a topic
  6. masculineAn opportunity
  7. masculineThe produce of a field
  8. New LatinmasculineThe campus of a university, college, or business

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

terra plāna et aperta; campus herbae plēnus.
campus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Rūs et Agrīcultūra

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Æquus · Planus · Campus

1. Æquum (from εἴκελος) denotes that which is flat, a horizontal flatness, in opposition to that which rises or sinks, to superior, inferior, and acclivis. Cic. Fam. iii. 8. Orat. iii. 6. Tac. Agr. 35. Hist. iv. 23; planum (from πλάξ) denotes ‘evenness,’ in opp. to unevenness, to montosus, saxosus. Cic. Part. 10. Quintil. v. 10, 37. 21. Hence, figuratively, æquum denotes ‘justice,’ as injustice may be considered as beginning when one part is raised above another; in the same way planum denotes clearness and distinctness, where nothing rises to interrupt the view. 2. Æquor and planities denote a flat surface with regard to its form; campus, with regard to its position, as low-lands in opp. to high-lands. (iv. 71.)

Villa · Fundus · Prædium · Ager · Campus · Rus · Arvum

1. Villa (dimin. of ἕδος) denotes a country-house, usually with a real estate; fundus, a real estate, usually with a country-house; prædium, sometimes a country-house, sometimes a real estate, like landed property. At the same time villa is an architectural term; fundus, an economical term; prædium, a juridical term. Cato, R. R. 3. Ita ædifices, ne villa fundum quærat, neve fundus villam. 2. Villa, fundus, and prædium, suppose a proprietor, like portio; whereas ager, arvum, rus, and campus, are thought of without reference to a proprietor, like pars. 3. Ager and campus denote the field, whether cultivated or not; ager (ἀγρός), the open field, in opp. to ground that is built upon, or planted with trees, consequently in opp. to urbs, oppidum, vicus, hortus, silva, like ἀγρός; whereas campus (κῆπος) denotes the low-lands and plains, like πεδίον, consequently in opp. to the high-lands, mons and collis; Cic. Div. i. 42. N. D. ii. 60. Colum. i. 2. Herenn. iv. 18. 25. Curt. viii. 1, 4. 4. Rus and arvum denote the corn-field; rus (ἄροτος) in opp. to the village or the town, like ἄρουρα; arvum, in opp. to pasture-lands and plantations, consequently in opp. to pabulum, pascuum, pratum, olivetum, Sall. Jug. 95. Cic. N. D. i. 45. Plaut. Truc. i. 2, 47. Hor. Ep. i. 16, 2. like ἄροτος. Cic. Fr. ap. Quintil. iv. 2. Fundum habet in agro Tiburino Tullius paternum. Orat. iii. 33. De fundo emendo, de agro colendo. Tac. G. 26. Arva per annos mutant, et superest ager. (iii. 5.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecampuscampī
campora
genitivecampīcampōrum
dativecampōcampīs
accusativecampumcampōs
campora
ablativecampōcampīs
vocativecampecampī

campus, i, m. cf. κῆπος, Dor. κᾶπος; perh. for scampus from σκάπτω, to dig, scabo; whence Campania, and perh. Capua; for the inserted m, cf. AAB-' λαμβάνω.
I. In gen.
A. Lit., of any open, level land, without reference to cultivation or use, an even, flat place, a plain, field (freq. and class.; cf.: ager, planities, aequor; opp. mons, collis, silva, etc.; cf. Doed. Syn. III. p. 8 sq.): saxum plani raptim petit aequora campi, Lucr. 3, 1015; cf. id. 5, 950: in camporum patentium aequoribus, Cic. Div. 1, 42, 93: aequor campi, Verg. A. 7, 781; Sil. 5, 376: aequo dare se campo, id. 9, 56: in aequo campi, Liv. 5, 38, 4: campos pedibus transire, Lucr. 4, 460; cf. id. 5, 493: campos et montes peragrantes, Cic. Div. 1, 42, 94; cf. id. N. D. 2, 39, 98: spatia frugifera atque immensa camporum, id. ib. 2, 64, 161; Col. 1, 2, 4; Lucr. 5, 1372: campus in prata et arva salictaque et arundineta digestus, Col. 1, 2, 3; cf. Auct. Her. 4, 18, 25; Curt. 8, 1, 4; Lucr. 5, 782; Tib. 4, 3, 1: virentes, Lucr. 1, 19: frequens herbis et fertilis ubere, Verg. G. 2, 185: gramineus, id. A. 5, 287; Hor. C. 2, 5, 6: pingues Asiae, id. Ep. 1, 3, 5: redeunt jam gramina campis, id. C. 4, 7, 1: herbosus, id. ib. 3, 18, 9: herbidus aquosusque, Liv. 9, 2, 7: opimus, id'. 31, 41, 7: campi frumenti ac pecoris et omnium copiā rerum opulenti, id. 22, 3, 3: pigri, Hor. C. 1, 22, 17 al.— Campus, like ager, is used in a wider or more restricted sense, as conveying a particular or more general idea: in agro publico campi duo milia jugerum immunia possidere, Cic. Phil. 3, 9, 22: agros Vaticanum et Pupinium, cum suis opimis atque uberibus campis conferendos, id. Agr. 2, 35, 96: si pinguis agros metabere campi, Verg. G. 2, 274 and 276; Lucr. 2, 324 sq.: certamina magna per campos instructa, id. 2, 5: campus terrenus, Liv. 33, 17, 8: dimicaturum puro ac patenti campo, id. 24, 14, 6: (praefecti regii) suas copias in campum Marathona deduxerunt, Nep. Milt. 4, 2: numquam in campo (in the free, open field) sui fecit potestatem, id. Ages. 3, 6; so id. Hann. 5, 4; Ov. M. 10, 151; cf. id. ib. 13, 579: insistere Bedriacensibus campis ac vestigia recentis victoriae lustrare oculis concupivit (Vitellius), Tac. H. 2, 70; so, Bebriaci Campo spolium affectare, the battlefield, Juv. 2, 106: campum colligere, Veg. Mil. 3, 25.—
2. Meton., the produce of the field: moriturque ad sibila (serpentis) campus, Stat. Th. 5, 528.—
B. Poet. like aequor, in gen., any level surface (of the sea, a rock, etc.): caeruleos per campos, Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 15: campi natantes, Lucr. 5, 489; 6, 405; 6, 1141: liquentes, Verg. A. 6, 724; 10, 214: campus Liberioris aquae, Ov. M. 1, 41; 1, 43: latus aquarum, id. ib. 1, 315; 11, 356: immotā attollitur undā Campus (i. e. saxum), Verg. A. 5, 128.—
C. Trop.: feratur eloquentia non semitis sed campis, on the open field, Quint. 5, 14, 31: (oratio) aequo congressa campo, on a fair field, id. 5, 12, 92: velut campum nacti expositionis, id. 4, 2, 39.—
II. Esp.
A. As geog. designation.
1. Campi Alēii, a plain in Lycia, Cic. Tusc. 3, 26, 63.—
2. Campi Lăpĭdĕi, a stony plain near Marseilles, now La Crau, Hyg. Astr. 2, 6; Plin. 3, 4, 5, § 34; 21, 10, 31, § 57.—
3. Campi Ma-cri, a district in Gallia Cisalpina, on the river Macra, Varr. R. R. 2, prooem. § 6; Liv. 41, 18, 6; 45, 12, 11.—
4. Campi Magni, in Africa, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 42, 167 (cf. Vahl. p. 167); Liv. 30, 8, 3.—
5. Campi Vĕtĕres, in Lucania, Liv. 25, 16, 25.—
B. An open place in or near Rome.
1. Campus Esquĭlīnus, on the Esquiline Hill, Cic. Phil. 9, 7, 17; Suet. Claud. 25.—
2. Campus Flāmĭnĭus, on which stood the Circus Flaminius, Varr. L. L. 5, § 32 Müll. —
3. Campus Scĕlĕrātus, near the Colline Gate, Liv. 8, 15, 8; Fest. p. 333 Müll. —
4. Far more freq. Campus, a grassy plain in Rome along the Tiber, in the ninth district, orig. belonging to the Tarquinii, after whose expulsion it was consecrated to Mars (Liv. 2, 5, 2); hence fully called Campus Martĭus, a place of assembly for the Roman people at the comitia centuriata, Cic. Cat. 1, 5, 11; id. Q. Fr. 2, 2, 1; id. Rab. Perd. 4, 11; Hor. C. 3, 1, 11; Quint. 11, 1, 47 al.—Hence,
b. Meton., the comitia themselves: curiam pro senatu, campum pro comitiis, Cic. de Or. 3, 42, 167: fors domina campi, id. Pis. 2, 3: venalis, Luc. 1, 180; also, much resorted to by the Romans for games, exercise, and recreation, a place for military drills, etc. (cf. campicursio and campidoctor), Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104; id. Quint. 18, 59; id. Fat. 4, 8; 15, 34; id. de Or. 2, 62, 253; 2, 71, 287; Hor. C. 1, 8, 4; 1, 9, 18; 3, 7, 26; id. S. 1, 6, 126; 2, 6, 49; id. Ep. 1, 7, 59; 1, 11, 4; id. A. P. 162.—
III. Trop., a place of action, a field, a theatre, opportunity, subject for debate, etc. (cf. area) (a favorite figure of Cic.): me ex hoc ut ita dicam campo aequitatis ad istas verborum angustias revocas, Cic. Caecin. 29, 84: cum sit campus, in quo exsultare possit oratio, cur eam tantas in angustias et in Stoicorum dumeta compellimus? id. Ac. 2, 35, 112; cf. id. de Or. 3, 19, 70: in hoc tanto tamque immenso campo cum liceat oratori vagari libere, id. ib. 3, 31, 124: magnus est in re publicā campus, multis apertus cursus ad laudem, id. Phil. 14, 6, 17: nullum vobis sors campum dedit, in quo excurrere virtus cognoscique posset, id. Mur. 8, 18; Plin. Pan. 31, 1: honoris et gloriae campus, id. ib. 70, 8: rhetorum campus de Marathone, Salamine, Plataeis, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 18, 61; Juv. 1, 19.
campus, i, m., = κάμπος,
I. a seaanimal: marini = hippocampi, Mart. 9, 43, 1.

Origins

Traditionally, from Proto-Italic *kampos, from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂ém-po-s, from *kh₂emp- (“to bend, curve; smooth”), making it an exact cognate of Lithuanian kam̃pas (“corner”) and Ancient Greek καμπ- (kamp-, “bend”). Compare camur (“curved, bent”) for the root without a -p- suffix. Alternatively, perhaps an agricultural term borrowed from a substrate language; this would explain the irregular correspondences between Latin and Greek.

Elsewhere
  • Catalancampus
  • Englishcampus
  • Frenchcampus
  • Romaniancampusfrom French campus
  • Italiancampus
  • Portuguesecampus
  • Portuguesecâmpus
  • Spanishcampus
  • Asturiancampus
  • Bulgarianкампус
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesecampofrom Old Galician-Portuguese campo
  • Spanishcampofrom Old Spanish campo
  • Englishcampfrom Old Spanish campo
  • Englishcampofrom Old Spanish campo
  • Aragonesecampo
  • Falacampufrom Old Galician-Portuguese campo
  • Galiciancampofrom Old Galician-Portuguese campo
  • Asturiancampu
  • Asturiancampo
  • Asturianquempu
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalancamp
  • Occitancamp
  • Franco-Provençalchamp
  • Old Frenchchamp, camp
Insular Romance
  • Sardiniancampu
Balkano-Romance
  • Romaniancâmp
  • Aromaniancãmpu
  • Aromanianchemp
  • Megleno-Romaniancǫmp
  • Megleno-Romaniancămpu
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiancampo
  • Corsicancampu
  • Dalmatiancuomp
  • Judeo-Italianקַאנְפוֹ
  • Neapolitancampo
  • Neapolitancampu
  • Siciliancampu
  • Venetancanpo
  • Venetancamp
  • Venetancanp
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliancjamp
  • Ladinciamp
  • Romanshchamp
  • Romanshcamp
  • Romanshtgomp
Gallo-Italic
  • Emiliancanp
  • Liguriancànpo
  • Lombardcanp
  • Piedmontesecamp
  • Romagnolcâmp

In English words that came into English from campus

  • campcampus
  • campaigncampānia
  • champagnecampānia
  • campuscampus
  • campanilecampāna
  • champaigncampānia
  • campimetercampus
  • campestralcampester
  • kempcampus
  • campagnacampānia

Quick answers

What does campus mean in Latin?
campus, a noun, means “Open flat level ground: a plain, a natural field; Any flat or level surface; a specific plain or field north of Rome’s walls called the Campus Mārtius, where the comitia centuriata were held”.
What is the genitive of campus?
The genitive singular is campī. campus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce campus?
In classical Latin, [ˈkam.pʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkam.pus].
Which English words come from campus?
English words that go back to Latin campus include camp, campus, campimeter, kemp, campaign and campestral.