LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neuterthird declension

foedus1

foedus n (genitive foederis)
Classical[ˈfoe̯.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɛː.dus]
№ 922 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neutertreaty, compact, alliance, truce, league
    Inde foedus ictum inter ducesThen a treaty being made between the commanders27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita I.1
  2. neuteragreement, bond, contract, compact, pact, pledge, conditions, terms
    [...] Nec coniugis umquam / praetendī taedās, aut haec in foedera vēnī.“Nor did I ever extend the wedding-torches of a bridegroom, or enter into these bonds [with you].”29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.338–339
  3. neutercovenant

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

pāx firma inter populōs, sacrīs verbīs facta.
foedus -eris n — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Fœdus · Societas

Fœdus (πεποιθός) is an engagement for mutual security, on the ground of a sacred contract; whereas societas, an engagement to some undertaking in common on the ground of a mere agreement. Liv. xxiv. 6. Hieronymus legatos Carthaginem mittit ad fœdus ex societate faciendum. Sall. Jug. 14. Cic. Phil. ii. 35. Neque ullam societatem . . . . fœdere ullo confirmari posse credidi. (vi. 132.)

Teter · Fœdus · Turpis · Deformis

Teter, tæter (ἀταρτηρός) is the ugliness which disturbs the feeling of security, and excites fear or shuddering, like hideous, shocking, βλοσυρός; fœdus (ψοῖθος), that which offends natural feelings, and excites loathing and aversion, like μιαρός; turpis (from torpere) that which offends the moral feeling, or sense of decency, and excites disapprobation or contempt, in opp. to honestus, gloriosus, like αἰσχρός; deformis, that which offends the finer sensations, and excites dislike, in opp. to formosus, like δυσειδής. Cic. Off. i. 34. Luxuria cum omni ætate turpis, tum senectuti fœdissima est. Rep. ii. 26. Tyrannus quo neque tetrius neque fœdius . . . animal ullum cogitari potest. Vatin. 3. Quanquam sis omni diritate teterrimus. Vell. Pat. ii. 69. In Vatinio deformitas corporis cum turpitudine certabat ingenii. (v. 111.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefoedusfoedera
genitivefoederisfoederum
dativefoederīfoederibus
accusativefoedusfoedera
ablativefoederefoederibus
vocativefoedusfoedera

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

ex pacto, ex foedere
according to treaty.
foedus frangere, rumpere, violare
to violate a treaty, terms of alliance.
foedus facere (cum aliquo), icere, ferire
to conclude a treaty, an alliance.

foedus, ĕris (for foedus, Ennius wrote fidus, acc. to Varr. L. L. 5, § 86 Müll. Archaic form of the
I. gen. plur. foedesum, acc. to Varr. L. L. 7, § 27; v. the letter R), n. from the root FID; Sanscr. bandh, ligare; v. fido, a league, treaty, compact (cf.: sponsio, pactio).
I. Polit.: FOEDERVM, PACIS, BELLI, INDVCIARVM ORATORES FETIALES IVDICESVE SVNTO, Cic. Leg. 2, 9, 21; cf. id. Rep. 1, 32: esse autem tria genera foederum, quibus inter se paciscerentur amicitias civitates regesque, Liv. 34, 57, 7: pacem foedusque facere, Cic. de Sen. 6, 16; cf.: oratrices pacis et foederis, id. Rep. 2, 8: Ambiorigem sibi societate et foedere adjungunt, Caes. B. G. 6, 2, 2: ne societates, ne foedera nova acciperemus, Sall. J. 14, 18: societatem foedere confirmare, Cic. Phil. 2, 35, 89: quibus (foederibus) etiam cum hoste devincitur fides, id. Off. 3, 31, 111: amicitiam et foedus petere, Sall J. 104, 4: foedus facere cum aliquibus, Cic. Inv. 2, 30, 91; so, foedus facere, id. Rep. 3, 18; Caes. B. C. 3, 108, 3; Sall. J. 38, 9 al.: ferire, icere, pangere, percutere, v. h. vv.: de foedere decedere, Cato ap. Gell. 10, 1, 10: foedera negligere, violare, rumpere, Cic. Balb. 5, 13; cf.: sociorum nominisque Latini jura negligere ac foedera, id. Rep. 3, 29: rumpere, Auct. Her. 4, 14, 20; Liv. 9, 1; 21, 10: violare, Cic. Rep. 1, 19; Liv. 28, 44, 7: rescindere, Vell. 2, 90, 3: solvere, Verg. A. 10, 91: turbare, id. ib. 12, 633: contra foedus facere, Cic. Balb. 4, 10; Gell. 10, 1, 10: foedus aequum dare, Liv. 23, 5, 9 (for which: ex aequo venire in amicitiam, id. 7, 30, 2); cf.: foedere iniquo alligari, id. 35, 46, 10: ex foedere, according to agreement, id. 1, 23, 7; 8, 39, 13. —
II. Transf., beyond the polit. sphere, in gen., a compact, covenant, agreement, stipulation, bargain: foedus fecerunt cum tribuno plebis palam, ut ab eo provincias acciperent, quas ipsi vellent, etc., Cic. Sest. 10, 24; cf.: foedus frangere, id. Pis. 12, 28: inter se facere, id. Fin. 2, 26, 83: amorum turpissimorum foedera ferire, id. Cael. 14, 34: amicitiae, Ov. Tr. 3, 6, 1: hospitii, Just. 7, 3: thalami, i. e. marriage contract, marriage, Ov. M. 7, 403; so, vitae, Stat. Th. 2, 112: communia studii, Ov. P. 4, 13, 43.—
B. Poet., of inanim. and abstr. things, a law: continuo has leges aeternaque foedera certis Inposuit natura locis, Verg. G. 1, 60: omnes Foedere naturae certo discrimina servant, Lucr. 5, 924; 5, 57; 6, 906: foedere certo et premere et laxas dare habenas, Verg. A. 1, 62: neve potentis naturae pollue foedus, Ov. M. 10, 353: caeli foedera, Col. Poët. 10, 219.

Origins

Inherited from Proto-Italic *feiðos (“faithful”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ-os, from *bʰeydʰ- (“to trust”). Same root as fīdō, fidēs, fīdus, and Proto-Germanic *bīdaną. Perhaps a corruption from an o-stem.

Descendants
  • Englishfederal
  • Englishfoedus rerum
  • Frenchfédéral
  • Frenchfédérale
  • Italianfederale
  • Spanishfederal
  • Portuguesefederal
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
foedus2
foedus (feminine foeda, neuter foedum, comparative foedior, superlative foedissimus, adverb foedē)
Classical[ˈfoe̯.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɛː.dus]
№ 922 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectivefilthy, foul, disgusting, loathsome, ugly, unseemly, detestable, abominable, horrible
  2. adjectivedisgraceful, vile, obscene, base, horrible, dreadful, dishonorable, shameful, infamous, foul
    Haec passim dea foeda virum diffundit in ōra.The disgraceful goddess scatters these [tales] here and there into the mouths of men. (The goddess: Fama or Rumor personified.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.195

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativefoedusfoedafoedum
genitivefoedīfoedaefoedī
dativefoedōfoedaefoedō
accusativefoedumfoedamfoedum
ablativefoedōfoedāfoedō
vocativefoedefoedafoedum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativefoedīfoedaefoeda
genitivefoedōrumfoedārumfoedōrum
dativefoedīsfoedīsfoedīs
accusativefoedōsfoedāsfoeda
ablativefoedīsfoedīsfoedīs
vocativefoedīfoedaefoeda

foedus, a, um, adj. Sanscr. dhūmas, smoke; cf.: fumus, fīmus, feteo,
I. foul, filthy, loathsome, ugly, unseemly, detestable, abominable, horrible (class.; cf.: deformis, turpis).
I. Physically: cimices foedissimum animal, Plin. 29, 4, 17, § 61: herba odoris foedi, id. 20, 16, 63, § 171: odor, Cels. 2, 8; 5, 28, 3: facies, id. 6, 6, 9: sapor, Lucr. 2, 401: species, id. 2, 421: nunc eo tibi videtur foedus, quia illam (vestem) non habet, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 17; cf. Quint. 6, 3, 32: immanissimum et foedissimum monstrum, Cic. Pis. 14, 31: foeda fit volucris (sc. bubo), Ov. M. 5, 549: caput impexa foedum porrigine, Hor. S. 2, 3, 126: foeda nigro simulacra fumo, id. C. 3, 6, 4: foeda cicatrix, id. S. 1, 5, 60: vulnus, Ov. M. 12, 366: tergum recentibus vestigiis vulnerum, Liv. 2, 23, 7; cf. id. 9, 31, 2: victus, Hor. A. P. 392: loca tetra, inculta, foeda, formidolosa, Sall. C. 52, 13: tempestates, Liv. 25, 7, 7; Verg. G. 1, 323: foedissima tempestas, Liv. 29, 18, 5: incendium, id. 24, 47, 15.—With dat.: pestilentia foeda homini, foeda pecori, destructive, Liv. 3, 32, 2.—In the neutr. absol.: foedum relatu, Ov. M. 9, 167; cf. foediora, Liv. 3, 69, 2.—
II. Mentally, disgraceful, base, dishonorable, vile, shameful, infamous, foul, etc.: quo (tyranno) neque tetrius, neque foedius, nec diis hominibusque invisius animal ullum cogitari potest, Cic. Rep. 2, 26: nihil fieri potest miserius, nihil perditius, nihil foedius, id. Att. 8, 11, 4: luxuria senectuti foedissima, id. Off. 1, 34, 123: homo, Sall. C. 19, 2: scriptores carmine foedo Splendida facta linunt, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 236; cf.: foedissima ludibria, Quint. 1, 6, 32: bellum foedissimum, Cic. Att. 7, 26, 3: genus interitus, id. ib. 15, 20, 2: foedus et perniciosus exitus judicii, id. Q. Fr. 3, 9, 1: consilium, Liv. 26, 38, 4: facinus, Ter. Eun. 5, 5, 1: amor, Lucr. 4, 1158: ministeria, Verg. A. 7, 619: condiciones, Hor. C. 3, 5, 15: fuga ducum, Val. Fl. 6, 723: exprobratio, Plin. 18, 26, 66, § 249: inconsequentia rerum foedissima, Quint. 8, 6, 50.—In the neutr. with a subject-clause: ludos vero non facere, quid foedius? (shortly before: quid turpius?) Cic. Att. 15, 10: versum in oratione fieri multo foedissimum est, Quint. 9, 4, 72.— Hence, adv.: foede, foully, cruelly, basely, horribly: foede divexarier, Pac. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 106 (Trag. Rel. p. 84 Rib.): aram turparunt sanguine foede, Lucr. 1, 85: foede aliquem distrahere, Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 14: laniare crura brachiaque, Tac. H. 1, 41: caesa manus juvenum, Verg. A. 10, 498: ob admissum foede dictumve superbe, Lucr. 5, 1224: servire, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 48: perire Sall. J. 31, 2: pugnatum est, Liv. 6, 1, 11: foedius inde pulsus quam, etc., id. 2, 51, 8: causa agetur foedissime, Cic. Att. 9, 7, 4.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *foiðos (“afraid”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to frighten; be afraid”).

Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesefeiofrom Old Galician-Portuguese feo
  • Spanishfeo
  • Asturianfeu
  • Asturianfeyu
  • Galicianfeofrom Old Galician-Portuguese feo
  • Old Spanishhedo
Italo-Romance
  • Italianfedo

Quick answers

What does foedus mean in Latin?
foedus, a noun, means “treaty, compact, alliance, truce, league; agreement, bond, contract, compact, pact, pledge, conditions, terms; covenant”.
What is the genitive of foedus?
The genitive singular is foederis. foedus is neuter, third declension.
How do you pronounce foedus?
In classical Latin, [ˈfoe̯.dʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfɛː.dus].