noun · masculinethird declension
fīnis
fīnis m or f (genitive fīnis)
Classical[ˈfiː.nɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfiː.nis]
№ 236 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- end
in finem
eternallyad finem
to the end - limit, border, bound boundary, frontier
- in pluralboundaries, bounds, frontiers; by extension, territory, region, lands
- limit in duration, term (duration of a set length)
huic generī mīlitum senātus eundem, quem Cannēnsibus, fīnem statuērat mīlitiae.
For this class of soldier the senate had established a limit in duration to their military service, which was the same as the men at Cannae.27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 26.1 - end, purpose, aim, object, telos
- death, end (of life)
- amount (in late juridical writings)
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
termini, regiōfīnēs -ium (m) — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 13, 14, 17
extrēma pars, terminusfīnis -is (m) — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 5
extrēma pars, exitusfīnis -is (m) — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 5
ubi rēs dēsinit, terminusfīnis -is (m) — in Metamorphoses I, †
borders
fīnēs -ium — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 10
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Finis · Terminus · Limes
Finis (from φθίνω) denotes a boundary, as a mathematical line, like τέλος; terminus and limes, a mark, as the material sign of a boundary; terminus (τειρόμενος, τέρμα,) a stone set up, as the sign of a bounding point, like τέρμα; limes, a ridge, as the sign of a bounding line, like ὅρος. Cic. Læl. 16. Constituendi sunt qui sint in amicitia fines et quasi termini diligendi. Hor. Carm. ii. 18, 24. Revellis agri terminos et ultra limites clientium salis avarus. (iv. 359.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | fīnis | fīnēs |
| genitive | fīnis | fīnium |
| dative | fīnī | fīnibus |
| accusative | fīnem | fīnēs fīnīs |
| ablative | fīne fīnī | fīnibus |
| vocative | fīnis | fīnēs |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- finem habere
- to come to an end.
- vitae finem facere
- to put an end to one's life.
- finem dicendi facere
- to cease speaking.
- (ex) finibus excedere
- to evacuate territory.
- finem facere alicuius rei
- to finish, complete, fulfil, accomplish a thing.
- ad finem aliquid adducere
- to finish, complete, fulfil, accomplish a thing.
- belli finem facere, bellum finire
- to put an end to war.
- fines certos terminosque constituere
- to impose fixed limitations.
2 more phrases
- finem imponere, afferre, constituere alicui rei
- to finish, complete, fulfil, accomplish a thing.
- fines (imperii) propagare, extendere, (longius) proferre
- to enlarge the boundaries of a kingdom.
fīnis, is (abl. regularly fine;
I.
fini, Lucr. 1, 978; also fine, ib. 976; and adverb. fini, ea fini, qua fini, Cato, R. R. 21, 3; 28, 2; 154; Gell. 1, 3, 30; 7, 3, 29; Dig. 16, 2, 19), m. (f. mostly ante- and post-class. and poet., and only in sing., Att., Caecil., Varr., Sisenn. ap. Non. 205, 6 sq.; Lucr. 1, 107; 551; 555; 561 sq.; cf. Lachm. p. 43; Verg. A. 2, 554; 5, 328; 384; 12, 793 al.; rarely in class. prose, Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 55; id. Fam. 12, 1, 1; id. Att. 9, 10, 4; Liv. 4, 2, 4 Weissenb. ad loc.; 9, 26, 9; 22, 57, 5; Plin. 30, 10, 24, § 82; 33, 1, 1, § 3; 33, 6, 31, § 98 al.; plur. f. only Varr. L. L. 5, 1, 13; v. Neue, Formenl. 1, 703) [for fidnis, root bhid-, fid-, v. findo; for the suffix, cf.: pa-nis, ig-nis, etc.], a boundary, limit, border, = terminus, ὅρος. I. Lit.:
accessit propius et jam ingrediens intra finem ejus loci, quem oleae terminabant, etc., Cic. Caecin. 8, 22: fere ad extremum finem provinciae Galliae, Liv. 40, 16, 5; cf. id. 33, 37, 6: Philaenōn arae, quem locum Aegyptum vorsus finem imperii habuere Carthaginienses, Sall. J. 19, 3: quem ad finem porrecta ac loca aperta pertinebant, cedentes (hostes) insequi, as far as, Caes. B. G. 2, 19, 5: quibus venientibus ad finem legatio Veientium obviam fuit, Liv. 4, 58, 1; cf.: nulla legatio ad finem praesto fuerat, id. 38, 15, 10; 10, 35, 1: haud procul Argivorum fine positis castris, id. 28, 5, 5; cf. id. 35, 27, 9 Drak.—In plur.: vicini nostri hic ambigunt de finibus, Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 93: nec Mamilia lege singuli, sed ex his tres arbitri fines regemus, Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 55 (v. rego, I. B.): in finibus Lycaoniae, mihi litterae redditae sunt, id. Fam. 15, 1, 2: Q. Fabius Labeo arbiter Nolanis et Neapolitanis de finibus a senatu datus ... fines terminare, id. Off. 1, 10, 33; cf.: SEX. ATILIVS INTER ATESTINOS ET VEICETINOS FINIS TERMINOSQVE STATVI IVSIT, Inscr. Orell. 3110: fines proferre, propagare, Cic. Rep. 3, 12; id. Mur. 9, 22: inter eos fines, quos feci, Liv. 1, 18, 9: atque hominum finem Gades Calpenque secutus, Sil. 1, 141.—B. Transf.
1. In plur., borders, and hence territory, land, country enclosed within boundaries:
propere de finibus suis exercitus deducerent, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 60: per agrum Sequanorum iter in Santonum fines facere, qui non longe a Tolosatium finibus absunt, Caes. B. G. 1, 10, 1; cf.: si suas copias Aedui in fines Bellovacorum introduxerint, id. ib. 2, 5, 3: civitatum fines incolere, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8: ego his finibus ejectus sum, quos, etc., Sall. J. 14, 8: neque flumen neque mons erat, qui fines eorum discerneret, id. ib. 79, 3: Multum interest, alienos populare fines an tuos uri exscindive videas, Liv. 28, 44, 2: veteres nullum animal sacrum in finibus suis esse patiebantur, sed abigebant ad fines deorum, quibus sacrum esset, where these gods were worshipped, Macr. S. 3, 7, 6.—2. Fine or fini alicujus rei, up to, as far as, a certain point (very rare):
matresfamiliae de muro pectoris fine prominentes passis manibus obtestabantur Romanos, ut, etc., Caes. B. G. 7, 47, 5 Oud. N. cr. (al. pectore nudo); so, fine inguinum ingrediuntur mare, Sall. H. Fragm. 3, 38 Gerl. (in Arus. Mess. p. 231 ed. Lind.): fine genūs vestem ritu succincta Dianae, Ov. M. 10, 536: per mare umbilici fine ingressi, Auct. B. Afr. 85, 1: amphoras nolito implere nimium ansarum infimarum fini, Cato, R. R. 113, 2: Asiam orientis fine a Macedonibus perdomitam, Justin. 30, 4.II. Trop., a limit, bound:
Crassus mihi visus est oratoris facultatem non illius artis terminis, sed ingenii sui finibus, immensis paene, describere, Cic. de Or. 1, 49, 214; cf.: certos mihi fines terminosque constituam, extra quos egredi non possim, id. Quint. 10, 35: finem et modum transire, to go beyond all bounds and measure, id. Off. 1, 29, 102; cf.: transcendere fines Juris, Lucr. 3, 60: modum aliquem et finem orationi facere, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 48, § 118: est modus in rebus, sunt certi denique fines, Quos ultraque citraque nequit consistere rectum, Hor. S. 1, 1, 106: intra Naturae fines vivere, id. ib. 50: (dixit) mulierem quinque pueros enixam ... eumque esse finem multijugae hominum partionis, Gell. 10, 2, 1: consulta, quibus sedecim stipendiorum finem expresserant, term, limit, Tac. A. 1, 78: his finibus luxuriam coercere, Gell. 2, 24, 15.—Hence, the starting-point in a race: Inde, ubi clara dedit sonitum tuba, finibus omnes Prosiluere suis (of vessels), Verg. A. 5, 139.—B. Transf., like τέλος.
1. An end:
in hoc (aequo judicio) uno denique falsae infamiae finis aliquis atque exitus reperiatur, Cic. Clu. 3, 7: dicendi finem facere, id. Sest. 65, 136; cf.: si placet, in hunc diem hactenus ... finem disputandi facere, id. Rep. 2, 44 fin.: scribendi, id. de Or. 2, 55, 224: maledictis, Ter. Heaut. prol. 34: injuriis, Caes. B. G. 1, 33, 1: vitae finem afferre alicui, Cic. Phil. 6, 1, 2; cf.: quando finem habet motus, vivendi finem habeat necesse est, id. Rep. 6, 25: finem judiciariae controversiae constituere, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 2, § 5: oratio lecta ad eum finem, quem, etc., as far as, id. de Or. 1, 34, 154: ludus repertus, et longorum operum finis, Hor. A. P. 406: imperium sine fine, everlasting, Verg. A. 1, 279: pigetque actorum sine fine mihi, Ov. M. 2, 387: poscens sine fine oscula, id. ib. 4, 334 al.—Adverb.: ad eum finem, until that: amor bestiarum in educandis custodiendisque iis, quae procreaverunt, usque ad eum finem, dum possint se ipsa defendere, Cic. N. D. 2, 51, 129: mansit in condicione usque ad eum finem, dum judices rejecti sunt, Cic. Verr. 1, 6, 16: quem ad finem, till when? how long? quamdiu furor iste tuus eludet? quem ad finem sese effrenata jactabit audacia? id. Cat. 1, 1, 1: piratam vivum tenuisti: quem ad finem? dum cum imperio fuisti, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 29, § 75; id. Mur. 5, 11; id. Fam. 9, 26, 1; cf.: Lu. Sequere... In. Sequor: sed finem fore quem dicam nescio (i. e. sequendi), Plaut. Trin. prol. 2.—b. In partic.
(a). The end of life, latter end, death (not till after the Aug. per.):
comperit invidiam supremo fine domari, i. e. after death, Hor. Ep. 2, 11, 12: tu ne quaesieris, quem mihi, quem tibi Finem di dederint, id. C. 1, 11, 2: nec quicquam jam de fine, si fata poscerent, recusans, Vell. 2, 123, 2; Sen. Ep. 30, 3; Val. Max. 3, 3, 4 ext.: septem a Neronis fine menses sunt, Tac. H. 1, 37: Augusti, id. A. 1, 4; 1, 16; 2, 39: voluntarius, id. ib. 4, 19; 15, 63 et saep.—(b). The end, extremity of an ascending series, i. e. the highest point, greatest degree, summit: sentis credo, me jam diu, quod τέλος Graeci dicunt, id dicere tum extremum, tum ultimum, tum summum:
licebit etiam finem pro extremo aut ultimo dicere, Cic. Fin. 3, 7, 26; cf. id. ib. 1, 4, 11; and: ad finem bonorum, quo referuntur et cujus causa sunt facienda omnia, the chief good, id. Leg. 1, 20, 52: fines bonorum et malorum, id. Fin. 1, 17, 55; hence the title of Cicero's treatise De Finibus, analog. to the Gr. περὶ τελῶν; cf. id. Att. 13, 21, 4, with ib. 19, 4: honorum populi finis est consulatus, id. Planc. 25, 60: quemque sperandi sibi, eundem bene dicendi finem proponerent, id. Tusc. 2, 1, 3: duodecim tabulae, finis aequi juris, Tac. A. 3, 27. —(g). An end, purpose, aim, object (but an end subjectively regarded, as an intention, or design, is propositum, consilium, mens, etc.):
omnes artes habere finem aliquem propositum, ad quem tendunt, Quint. 2, 17, 22: laudis et gloriae, id. 8, 3, 11: domus finis est usus, Cic. Off. 1, 39, 138: officium ejus facultatis videtur esse, dicere apposite ad persuasionem: finis, persuadere dictione, id. Inv. 1, 5, 6; cf. id. ib. 2, 51, 156; id. Part. Or. 4, 11; id. de Or. 1, 42, 188; 2, 34, 145; Quint. 2, 15, 6: quem finem vel quid summum et ultimum habeat rhetorice, id. ib. 38: volgaris liberalitas referenda est ad illum Ennii finem, Nihilo minus ipsi lucet, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 16, 52: ad finem vitae, Quint. 2, 17, 41: medicinae, id. ib. 25; 2, 21, 3.—(d). An intention, design, end in view (very rare; cf. γ supra):
quod ad eum finem memoravimus, ut, etc., Tac. A. 14, 64.—2. In rhet. lang., i. q. finitio and definitio, qs. an explanatory limiting, a definition, explanation (perh. not in Cic., but repeatedly in Quint.):
dicuntur argumenta ex finitione seu fine, Quint. 5, 10, 54: est frequentissimus finis, rhetoricen esse vim persuadendi, id. 2, 15, 3; id. ib. 11 sq.; 4, 4, 3 Spald. N. cr.—3. In the later jurid. Lat., a measure, amount:
placuit, ut fructus hypothecarum usuris compensaret, fini legitimae usurae, Dig. 20, 1, 1: finem pretii, deminuere vel excedere, ib. 21, 2, 66: ad finem peculii legata praestare, ib. 49, 17, 17.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
fīnis is, m (often f in sing., C., V., H., O.)
2 FID-, that which divides, a boundary, limit, border : loci: imperi, S.: haud procul Argivorum fine positis castris, L.: arbiter Nolanis de finibus: inter eos finīs, quos feci, L.— A mark, starting-point, goal : finibus omnes Prosiluere suis, V.: trans finem iaculo expedito, H.: Solus superest in fine, at the goal , V.— Borders, territory, land, country : iter in Santonum finīs facere, Cs.: his finibus eiectus sum, S.: alienos populari finīs, L.: Atlanteus, the remote land of Atlas , H.—Abl. with gen, up to, as far as : matres pectoris fine prominentes, Cs.: Fine genūs succincta, O.—Fig., a limit, bound : ingeni sui fines: finem aequitatis transire: finem potentia caeli Non habet, O.: sunt certi denique fines, H.: intra Naturae finīs vivere, H.— An end, termination, close, conclusion, period, stop : finem iniuriis facturus, Cs.: orandi finem face, T.: scribendi: vitae: orationi finem facere: operum, H.: Imperium sine fine, everlasting , V.: Poscens sine fine Oscula, O.: usque ad eum finem, dum, etc., until the time when : quem ad finem sese iactabit audacia? till when? : quem ad finem? how long? —An end, death : invidiam supremo fine domari, H.: quem tibi Finem di dederint, H.— An end, extremity, highest point, greatest degree, summit : omnia: fines bonorum et malorum, i. e. supreme good and evil : honorum: aequi iuris, Ta.— An end, purpose, aim, object : domūs finis est usus: Quae finis standi? V.
Origins
Disputed. Perhaps for Latin *fignis, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to stick, set up”), whence fīgō, or for Latin *fidnis, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”), whence findō. Other hypotheses include: * From Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyH- (“to strike”); compare perfinēs (“(you would) break, shatter”). * From the same source as Proto-Germanic *bainaz (“straight; ready”) and *bainą (“bone”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyH-n- (“something straight, pole”), which may or may not be from the same root “to strike” above. For the meaning “region”, compare pāgus again from a root meaning “to fix”.
Descendants
- Catalanfi
- Frenchfin
- Italianfine
- Occitanfin
- Portuguesefim
- Romanianfine
- Sardinianfine
- Sardinianfini
- Spanishfin
- Asturianfin
In English words that came into English from fīnis
- financefīnis
- finishfīniō
- finefīnis
- finalfīnālis
- infiniteīnfīnītus
- infinityīnfīnitās
- finessefīnis
- definedēfīniō
- finitefīnītus
- definitedēfīnītus
- finalefīnālis
- paraffinparaffinum
- affineaffinis
- finialfīnālis
- definitudefīnis
- finisfīnis
- affinalaffīnis
- finitudefīnis
- infinitudeinfinitas
- finitofīnītus
- indefinitudefīnis
- prefinepraefinire