LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neuterthird declension

genus

genus n (genitive generis)
Classical[ˈɡɛ.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈd͡ʒɛː.nus]
№ 170 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neuterbirth, origin, lineage, descent
  2. neuterkind, type, class
    huic generi militum senatus eundem, quem Cannensibus, finem statuerat militiae.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
  3. neuterspecies (general classification, as of living things), taxon (of animal or plant), race (of people or animals)
    omne adeo genus in terris hominumque ferarumque / et genus aequoreum pecudes pictaeque volucres / in furias ignemque ruuntSo far does every race on earth of man and beast, / whether the aquatic species, livestock, or painted-winged, / collapse into the frenzies and the fire [of sex].c. 37 BCE – 30 BCE, Vergilius, Georgicon III
  4. neuterset, group, category (with common attributes)
  5. neutergender
    6th century, Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus (attributed): Commentarium de oratione et de octo partibus orationis. In: PL 70 (Migne), col. 1225Nouns have six genders: masculine, e.g. hic Cato 'this man Cato'; feminine, e.g. haec musa 'this muse'; neuter, e.g. hoc monile 'this necklace'; common to two genders, e.g. hic et haec sacerdos 'this priest or priestess'; of three genders, e.g. hic, et haec, et hoc felix 'this lucky man, woman or thing'; epicene, called promiscous in Latin, e.g. passer 'sparrow', aquila 'eagle'.
  6. neutersubtype of word
    Genera verborum quot sunt? Quinque. Quae? Activa passiva neutra deponentia communia.How many types of verbs are there? Five. Which ones? Active, passive, neuter, deponent, common.mid 4th c. CE, Aelius Donatus, Ars Minor De Verbo
    Verborum genera quinque sunt, activa passiva neutra communia deponentia.There are five types of verbs: active, passive, neuter, common, deponent.Maurus Servius Honoratus, Commentarius in Artem Donati

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Stirps · Genus · Gens · Prosapia · Posteritas · Progenies · Proles · Suboles

1. Stirps, genus, and gens, denote the race usually in an ascending line, as abstract and collective terms, for majores; whereas prosapia, progenies, propago, proles, suboles, in a descending line, as abstract and collective terms for posteri. 2. Prosapia is an antiquated solemn expression, and only to be used of ancient noble families, Cic. Univ. 11. Quintil. i. 6, 40; posteritas, the usual prosaic, progenies, a select, elevated expression, Cic. Rep. ii. 22; proles and suboles, poetical expressions, Cic. Or. iii. 38; proles denotes children, as fruits destined, as a younger race, to exist with their parents; suboles, as an after-growth, destined to supply the place of the generation that is dying off. 3. Gens (γενετή) is a political, genus (γένος), a natural race. Gens consists of families, whom the founder of states has united into a community or complex family; genus consists of species and individuals, that by their common properties belong to one and the same class of beings. (v. 307).

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativegenusgenera
genitivegenerisgenerum
dativegenerīgeneribus
accusativegenusgenera
ablativegeneregeneribus
vocativegenusgenera

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

quo in genere
from this point of view; similarly.
fusum orationis genus
a running style.
homines omnis generis
people of every rank.
natione, genere Anglus
an Englishman by birth.
inflatum orationis genus
a bombastic style.
generis antiquitate florere
to be of noble family.
partes generibus subiectae sunt
the species is subordinate the genus.
genus dicendi (scribendi); oratio
style.
13 more phrases
poesis genus ad Romanos transferre
to transplant to Rome one of the branches of poesy.
in aliquo litterarum genere versari
to be engaged in any branch of study.
accedere ad cotidiani sermonis genus
to adopt the language of everyday life.
inconditum dicendi genus (Brut. 69. 242)
a rough, unpolished style.
genere, non numero or magnitudine differre
to differ qualitatively not quantitatively.
condicio ac fortuna hominum infimi generis
the position of the lower classes.
omni ex parte; in omni genere; omnibus rebus
from every point of view; looked at in every light.
nobili, honesto, illustri loco or genere natus
of illustrious family.
hoc vocabulum generis neutri (not neutrius) est)
this word is neuter.
genus vitae (vivendi) or aetatis degendae deligere
to choose a career, profession.
nobiles; nobilitas; qui nobilitate generis excellunt
the aristocracy (as a social class).
genus dicendi grave or grande, medium, tenue (cf. Or. 5. 20; 6. 21)
elevated, moderate, plain style.
genus universum in species certas partiri et dividere (Or. 33. 117)
to analyse a general division into its specific parts.

gĕnus, ĕris, n. = γένος, root GEN, gigno, gens,
I. birth, descent, origin; and concr., a race, stock, etc. (cf.: familia, gens, stirps).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: bono genere gnati, Cato ap. Gell. 10, 3, 17; cf.: ii, qui nobili genere nati sunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 180: amplissimo genere natus, Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 4: genere regio natus, Cic. Rep. 1, 33: C. Laelius, cum ei quidam malo genere natus diceret, indignum esse suis majoribus, at hercule, inquit, tu tuis dignus, id. de Or. 2, 71, 286: genere et nobilitate et pecunia sui municipii facile primus, id. Rosc. Am. 6, 15: esse genere divino, id. Rep. 2, 2: contempsisti L. Murenae genus, extulisti tuum, id. Mur. 7, 15: hic sacra, hic genus, hic majorum multa vestigia, id. Leg. 2, 1, 3; cf. id. Brut. 58, 212; id. Rep. 1, 18: adulescens, cujus spei nihil praeter genus patricium deesset, Liv. 6, 34, 11: in famam generis ac familiae, Quint. 3, 11, 12; 5, 10, 24: genus Lentulorum, id. 6, 3, 67: Atys, genus unde Atii duxere Latini, Verg. A. 5, 568: fortuna non mutat genus, Hor. Epod. 4, 6: virginem plebei generis petiere juvenes, alter virgini genere par, alter, etc., Liv. 4, 9, 4: qui sibi falsum nomen imposuerit, genus parentesve finxerit, etc., Plaut. Sent. 5, 25, 11.—Plur.: summis gnati generibus, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 20.—
B. In partic., birth, for high or noble birth (mostly poet.): cum certi propter divitias aut genus aut aliquas opes rem publicam tenent, est factio, Cic. Rep. 3, 14: pol mihi fortuna magis nunc defit quam genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 394 Vahl.): et genus et virtus, nisi cum re vilior alga est, Hor. S. 2, 5, 8; cf.: et genus et formam regina pecunia donat, id. Ep. 1, 6, 37: non, Torquate, genus, non te facundia, non te Restituet pietas, id. C. 4, 7, 23: jactes et genus et nomen inutile, id. ib. 1, 14, 13; cf.: cui genus et quondam nomen natique fuissent, Verg. A. 5, 621: nunc jam nobis patribus vobisque plebei promiscuus consulatus patet, nec generis, ut ante, sed virtutis est praemium, Liv. 7, 32, 14; cf. id. 4, 4, 7.
II. Transf.
A. Like gens and stirps, a descendant, offspring, child; and collect., descendants, posterity, race (poet.): neve tu umquam in gremium extollas liberorum ex te genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Or. 46, 155 (Trag. v. 347 Vahl.): credo equidem, genus esse deorum, Verg. A. 4, 12: Uraniae genus, Hymen, i. e. her son, Cat. 61, 2: audax Iapeti, i. e. his son Prometheus, Hor. C. 1, 3, 27: Jovis, i. e. Perseus, Ov. M. 4, 609; cf. also Prop. 2, 2, 9; Hor. C. 2, 14, 18: genus Adrasti, i. e. Diomede, grandson of Adrastus, Ov. F. 6, 433; so of a grandson, id. M. 2, 743; cf. nepotum, Hor. C. 3, 17, 4: Tantali genus, id. ib. 2, 18, 37: Danai, id. ib. 2, 14, 18: Messi clarum genus Osci, id. S. 1, 5, 54: ab alto Demissum genus Aenea, i. e. Octavianus, as the adopted son of Julius Cœsar, id. ib. 2, 5, 63: sive neglectum genus et nepotes Respicis auctor, i. e. the Romans, id. C. 1, 2, 35; cf. ib. 3, 6, 18: regium genus, id. ib. 2, 4, 15. —
B. Of an assemblage of objects (persons, animals, plants, inanimate or abstract things) which are related or belong together in consequence of a resemblance in natural qualities; a race, stock, class, sort, species, kind (in this signif. most freq. in all periods and kinds of writing).
1. In gen.
a. Of living things: ne genus humanum temporis longinquitate occideret, propter hoc marem cum femina esse coniunctum, Cic. ap. Col. 12, 1 (Fragm. Cic. 1, 5 Baiter): quod ex infinita societate generis humani ita contracta res est, etc., of the human race, Cic. Lael. 5, 20; cf. id. Rep. 1, 2 fin.: o deorum quicquid in caelo regit Terras et humanum genus, Hor. Epod. 5, 2; for which: consulere generi hominum, Cic. Rep. 3, 12; cf.: cum omni hominum genere, id. ib. 2, 26; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 7: solivagum genus, Cic. Rep. 1, 25: potens vir cum inter sui corporis homines tum etiam ad plebem, quod haudquaquam inter id genus contemptor ejus habebatur, i. e. among the Plebeians, Liv. 6, 34, 5: Graium genus, the Grecian race, Enn. ap. Prob. ad Verg. E. 6, 31 (Ann. v. 149 Vahl.): virtus est propria Romani generis atque seminis, Cic. Phil. 4, 5, 13; cf. id. Ac. 2, 27, 86: Ubii, paulo quam sunt ejusdem generis et ceteris humaniores, Caes. B. G. 4, 3, 3; cf. also: impellit alios (Aeduos) iracundia et temeritas, quae maxime illi hominum generi est innata, race of men, id. ib. 7, 42, 2; so, like gens, of nations, peoples, tribes: ferox, Sall. Fragm. ap. Arus. Mess. s. v. insolens, p. 241 Lind. (Hist. 1, 14 Gerl.); Liv. 34, 7, 6: implacidum (Genauni), Hor. C. 4, 14, 10: durum ac velox (Ligures), Flor. 2, 3, 4: omne in paludes diffugerat, id. 3, 10, 14: Graecorum, Cic. Fl. 4, 9: Numidarum, Liv. 30, 12, 18: genus omne nomenque Macedonum, id. 13, 44, 6; Nep. Reg. 2: Italici generis multi mortales, Sall. J. 47, 1: Illyriorum, Liv. 27, 32, 4; 27, 48, 10; 42, 47 fin.: Scytharum, Just. 2, 3, 16; Tac. H. 2, 4; Suet. Ner. 37; Vell. 2, 118, 1.—In plur.: conventus is, qui ex variis generibus constaret, Caes. B. C. 2, 36, 1: olim isti fuit generi quondam quaestus apud saeclum prius ... est genus hominum, qui se primos esse omnium rerum volunt, class of men, profession, Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 15 and 17: firmi et stabiles et constantes (amici), cujus generis est magna penuria, Cic. Lael. 17, 62: saepius genus ejus hominis (sc. procuratoris rei publicae) erit in reliqua nobis oratione tractandum, id. Rep. 2, 29 fin.; cf.: genus aliud tyrannorum, id. ib. 1, 44: judicum genus et forma, id. Phil. 5, 5, 13: istius generis asoti, id. Fin. 2, 8, 23; cf.: omnium ejus generis poëtarum haud dubie proximus, Quint. 10, 1, 85: liberrimum hominum, id. 10, 12, 2, § 22: irritabile vatum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 102: hoc omne (ambubajarum, etc.), id. S. 1, 2, 2: hominum virile, muliebre, Cic. Inv. 1, 24, 35: equidem fabulam et fictam rem ducebam esse, virorum omne genus in aliqua insula conjuratione muliebri ab stirpe sublatum esse, Liv. 34, 2, 3: cedat consulari generi praetorium, Cic. Planc. 6, 15: ad militare genus = ad milites, Liv. 24, 32, 2: alia militaris generis turba, id. 44, 45, 13: castellani, agreste genus, id. 34, 27, 9 Weissenb. ad loc.—Sing. with plur. predicate: Ministrantibus sibi omni genere turpium personarum, Capitol. Ver. 4.—In plur.: eorum hominum ... genera sunt duo, Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 1: tria auditorum, Quint. 3, 4, 6.— Repeated in the relative-clause: duo genera semper in hac civitate fuerunt ... quibus ex generibus, Cic. Sest. 45, 96.—In the acc., of description (v. Roby's Gram. 2, p. 42 sq.): quot et quod genus pastores habendi, of what kind, Varr. R. R. 2, 10, 1: quod genus ii sunt, etc., Auct. Her. 2, 30, 48; cf. in the foll.—
(b). Of animals, plants, etc.: genus altivolantum, the race of birds, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 84 Vahl.); cf.: genu' pennis condecoratum, id. Fragm. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 59: lanigerum, id. Fragm. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Cyprio, p. 59 Müll.: squamigerum, Lucr. 1, 162; cf. piscium, Hor. C. 1, 2, 9: silvestre, Lucr. 5, 1411: omne ferarum, id. 5, 1338: acre leonum, id. 5, 862: malefici generis plurima animalia, Sall. J. 17, 6: diversum confusa genus panthera camelo, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 195: animantūm propagare genus, to propagate the race, Lucr. 1, 195: ad genus faciendum, Just. 2, 9 fin.: juxta genus suum, Vulg. Gen. 1, 11 saep.— Plur.: quae vero et quam varia genera bestiarum vel cicurum vel ferarum! Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 99: piscium genera, Quint. 5, 10, 21.—In the acc., of description: porticus avibus omne genus oppletae, Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 11: pascuntur omne genus objecto frumento, id. ib. 3, 6: boves et id genus pecua, App. M. 2, p. 115, 4; id. Flor. p. 37. —
b. Of inanim. and abstr. things, kind, sort, description, class, order, character: genus ullum materiaï, Lucr. 2, 304: cum is (sol) quoque efficiat, ut omnia floreant et in suo quaeque genere pubescant, Cic. N. D. 2, 15, 41: naves omni genere armorum ornatissimae, Caes. B. G. 3, 14, 2: cibi genus, id. ib. 4, 1, 9: cum omni genere commeatus, Liv. 30, 36, 2: frugum, id. 38, 15, 9: hoc sphaerae genus, Cic. Rep. 1, 14: hoc triplex rerum publicarum genus, id. ib. 2, 23: regale civitatis, id. ib.; cf.: totum regiae civitatis, id. ib. 2, 29: novum imperii, id. ib. 2, 32: ipsum istud genus orationis exspecto, id. ib. 1, 24 fin.; cf.: dulce orationis, id. Or. 13, 42: qua re esset hoc bellum genere ipso necessarium, id. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 27; cf.: genus hoc erat pugnae, quo, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 48, 4: potestas annua (consulum) genere ipso ac jure regia, Cic. Rep. 2, 32: genus vitae ... genus aetatis, id. Off. 1, 32, 117: optimum emendandi, Quint. 10, 4, 2: dicendi, Cic. Off. 1, 1, 3; Quint. 8, 3, 56; 12, 10, 69: simplex rectumque loquendi, id. 9, 3, 3: omnis generis tormenta, Liv. 32, 16, 10: praeda ingens omnis generis, id. 27, 5, 9; so, omnis generis, with tela, id. 38, 26, 4; with naves, id. 34, 8, 5; with eloquentia, id. 39, 40, 7, etc.—Repeated in the relative-clause: erat haec (ratio) ex eodem genere, quod ego maxime genus ex sociorum litteris reperire cupiebam, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 74, § 183.—In plur.: Caesar haec genera munitionis instituit, Caes. B. G. 7, 72, 1: disserere de generibus et de rationibus civitatum, Cic. Rep. 2, 11; cf. id. ib. 1, 26; 28: genera juris institutorum, morum consuetudinumque describere, id. ib. 3, 10: genera furandi, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 7, § 18.—In the acc., of description: omne, hoc, id, quod genus, for omnis, ejus, hujus, cujus generis, of every, of this, of which kind: sub urbe hortum omne genus, coronamenta omne genus, Cato, R. R. 8, 2; Varr. R. R. 1, 29, 1: omne genus simulacra feruntur, Lucr. 4, 735: si hoc genus rebus non proficitur, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 23; id. L. L. 9, § 110 Müll.; Lucr. 6, 917 and Hor. S. 2, 6, 44: in id genus verbis, Varr. L. L. 10, § 79; 8, 7, 108, § 17: in id genus libris, Gell. 3, 8, 1: scis me ante orationes aut aliquid id genus solitum scribere, Cic. Att. 13, 12, 3: vitanda sunt illa, quae propinqua videntur: quod genus, fidentiae contrarium est diffidentia, etc., for example, id. Inv. 2, 54, 165; so ib. 2, 52, 157; 2, 54, 162; 2, 57, 172; Lucr. 4, 271; 6, 1058: lege jus est id quod populi jussu sanctum est, quod genus: ut in jus eas cum voceris, Auct. Her. 2, 13, 19; cf. ib. sqq.— In gen.: i. q. res or aliquid: ut in omni genere hujus populi (Graeci) consuetudinem videretur imitatus, in all respects, in everything, Cic. Rep. 2, 20; cf.: innumerabiles res sunt, in quibus te quotidie in omni genere desiderem, id. Q. Fr. 2, 2 fin.: incredibile est, quam me in omni genere delectarit, id. Att. 16, 5, 2: medici assiduitas et tota domus in omni genere diligens, id. ib. 12, 33, 2; 7, 1, 2: qui in aliquo genere aut inconcinnus aut multus est, is ineptus dicitur, in any respect whatever, id. de Or. 2, 4, 17: qua de re et de hoc genere toto pauca cognosce, id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 4.—Adverb.: in genus, in general, generally: sermones in genus communes, Gell. 4, 1 fin.—
2. In partic.
a. In philos. lang., opp. partes, and comprising them within itself, a general term, logical genus: genus est id, quod sui similes communione quadam, specie autem differentes, duas aut plures complectitur partes, Cic. de Or. 1, 42, 189; cf.: genus est, quod plures partes amplectitur, ut animal; pars est, quae subest generi, ut equus. Sed saepe eadem res alii genus, alii pars est: nam homo animalis pars est, Thebani aut Trojani genus, id. de Inv. 1, 22, 32: genus est, quod partes aliquas amplectitur, ut cupiditas; pars est, quae subest generi, ut cupiditati amor, avaritia, id. ib. 1, 28, 42; cf. also: genus est notio ad plures differentias pertinens, id. Top. 7, 31: nec vero sine philosophorum disciplina genus et speciem cujusque rei cernere neque eam definiendo explicare nec tribuere in partes possumus, etc., id. Or. 4, 16; cf. ib. 33, 117: formae dicendi specie dispares, genere laudabiles, id. de Or. 3, 9, 34: perturbationes sunt genere quatuor, partibus plures, id. Tusc. 3, 11, 24; cf. ib. 5, 25, 71: et conjuncta quaeremus, et genera et partes generibus subjectas, et similitudines, etc., id. de Or. 2, 39, 166; opp. species and pars, Varr. R. R. 3, 3, 3.—
b. In gram., gender: transversi sunt (ordines) qui ab recto casu obliqui declinantur, ut albus, albi, albo; directi sunt, qui ab recto casu in rectos declinantur, ut albus, alba, album. Transversorum ordinum partes appellantur casus, directorum genera: utrisque inter se implicatis forma, Varr. L. L. 10, § 22 Müll.: quod ad verborum temporalium rationem attinet, cum partes sint quatuor: temporum, personarum, generum, divisionum, etc., ib. 9, § 95: in nominibus tria genera, Quint. 1, 4, 23: barbarismum fieri per numeros aut genera, id. 1, 5, 16; 9, 3, 6: in verbis quoque quis est adeo imperitus, ut ignoret genera et qualitates, etc., id. 1, 4, 27.
gĕnus, ūs, v. genu.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁os
  3. Proto-Italic*genos
  4. Latingenus

From Proto-Italic *genos, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os n (“race”), from the root *ǵenh₁- (“to produce, beget”); compare also gēns, gignō and -gnus, from the same root. The genitive gener-is (< PIE *ǵénh₁es-os) displays the sound shift -r- < intervocalic *-s-, through which the Old Latin form *genes-is can be reconstructed. Cognates include Ancient Greek γένος (génos, “race, stock, kin, kind”), Sanskrit जनस् (jánas, “race, class of beings”), Proto-Celtic *genos (“birth; family”), and English kin. Doublet of genea.

Descendants
  • Catalangens
  • Catalangènere
  • Englishgenus
  • GermanGenus
  • Italiangenere
  • Portuguesegénero
  • Portuguesegênero
  • Romaniangen
  • Spanishgénero
  • Franco-Provençalgins

Quick answers

What does genus mean in Latin?
genus, a noun, means “birth, origin, lineage, descent; kind, type, class; species (general classification, as of living things), taxon (of animal or plant), race (of people or animals)”.
What is the genitive of genus?
The genitive singular is generis. genus is neuter, third declension.
How do you pronounce genus?
In classical Latin, [ˈɡɛ.nʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈd͡ʒɛː.nus].
Where does genus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- → Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os → Proto-Italic *genos → Latin genus.