LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

dēfīnītiō

dēfīnītiō f (genitive dēfīnītiōnis)
Classical[deː.fiːˈniː.ti.oː]Ecclesiastical[de.fiˈnit.t͡si.o]

Meaning

  1. definition; precise description
  2. specification
  3. boundary, limit
  4. explanation
  5. classification
  6. pronouncement, ruling

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativedēfīnītiōdēfīnītiōnēs
genitivedēfīnītiōnisdēfīnītiōnum
dativedēfīnītiōnīdēfīnītiōnibus
accusativedēfīnītiōnemdēfīnītiōnēs
ablativedēfīnītiōnedēfīnītiōnibus
vocativedēfīnītiōdēfīnītiōnēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

a definitione proficisci
to start from a definition.

dēfīnītĭo, ōnis, f. definio. *
I. A bounding, a boundary: AREA INTRA HANC DEFINITIONEM CIPPORVM CLAVSA VERVBVS, Inscr. Orell. 736.—
II. A limiting, prescribing, defining; a definition, explanation (freq. only in Cicero; cf. definio): ut quodcumque accidisset praedictum videretur hominum et temporum definitione sublata, Cic. Div. 2, 54, 110: judiciorum aequorum, id. Clu. 2: definitio est earum rerum, quae sunt ejus rei propriae, quam definire volumus, brevis et circumscripta quaedam explicatio, id. de Or. 1, 42, 189; cf. id. Or. 33, 116; id. Fin. 2, 2, 5; id. Off. 1, 2 fin. et saep.; Quint. 1, 6, 29: definitio pars sit translationis, id. 3, 6, 42 et saep.—
III. Transf., that which is decreed, decided: perpetrata quippe est definitio, Vulg. Dan. 11, 36.

Origins

Derived from dēfīniō (“to limit”, “to define”) + -tiō (“-tion”, noun-forming suffix).

Descendants
  • Italiandefinizione
  • Englishdefinitionfrom Middle French definition
  • Frenchdéfinitionfrom Middle French definition
  • Romaniandefinițiefrom Middle French definition
  • Portuguesedefinição
  • Spanishdefinición
  • Finnishdefinitio
  • Galiciandefinición
  • Dutchdefinitiefrom Middle French definition
  • Haitian Creoledefinisyonfrom Middle French definition

Quick answers

What does dēfīnītiō mean in Latin?
dēfīnītiō, a noun, means “definition; precise description; specification”.
What is the genitive of dēfīnītiō?
The genitive singular is dēfīnītiōnis. dēfīnītiō is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce dēfīnītiō?
In classical Latin, [deː.fiːˈniː.ti.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [de.fiˈnit.t͡si.o].