LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

gracilis

gracilis (neuter gracile, comparative gracilior, superlative gracillimus, adverb graciliter)
Classical[ˈɡra.kɪ.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈɡraː.t͡ʃi.lis]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. two terminationslender, slim, thin
  2. two terminationmeager, scanty, lean
  3. two terminationunadorned, simple

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

tenuis corpore.
gracilis -e — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Exilis · Macer · Gracilis · Tenuis

Exilis and macer denote leanness, with reference to the interior substance and with absolute blame, as a consequence of want of sap, and of shrivelling; exilis (from egere, exiguus,) generally as applicable to any material body, and as poverty and weakness, in opp. to uber, Cic. Or. i. 12; macer (μακρός, meagre,) especially to animal bodies, as dryness, in opp. to pinguis, Virg. Ecl. iii. 100; whereas gracilis and tenuis, with reference to the exterior form, indifferently or with praise; tenuis (τανύς, thin), as approaching to the notion of delicate, and as a general term, applicable to all bodies, in opp. to crassus, Cic. Fat. 4. Vitruv. iv. 4; but gracilis as approaching to the notion of tall, procerus, and especially as applicable to animal bodies, like slender, in opp. to opimus, Cic. Brut. 91; obesus, Cels. i. 3, 30. ii. 1. Suet. Dom. 18. (v. 25.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativegracilisgracilisgracile
genitivegracilisgracilisgracilis
dativegracilīgracilīgracilī
accusativegracilemgracilemgracile
ablativegracilīgracilīgracilī
vocativegracilisgracilisgracile
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativegracilēsgracilēsgracilia
genitivegraciliumgraciliumgracilium
dativegracilibusgracilibusgracilibus
accusativegracilīs
gracilēs		gracilīs
gracilēs		gracilia
ablativegracilibusgracilibusgracilibus
vocativegracilēsgracilēsgracilia

grăcĭlis, e (also ante-class. grăcĭlus, a, um, Lucil. ap. Non. 489, 21; plur.:
I. gracilae virgines, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 22), adj. Sanscr. karc, to be lean; old Lat. cracentes, slender (Enn. Ann. 497 Vahl.); cf. Gr. κολοκάνος, thin, slight, slender, slim; meagre, lean (poet. and in Aug. prose; not in Cic.; but cf. gracilitas; syn.: exilis, tenuis, macer).
I. Physically: in gracili macies crimen habere potest, Ov. R. Am. 328: gracili sic tamque pusillo, Hor. S. 1, 5, 69: quis multa gracilis te puer in rosa, etc., id. C. 1, 5, 1: puer, Mart. 11, 43, 4: Indi, Juv. 6, 466: capella, Ov. M. 1, 299: equi hominesque paululi et graciles, Liv. 35, 11, 7: arbores succinctioresque, Plin. 16, 10, 17, § 39: resina (opp. pinguis), id. 24, 6, 22, § 33: gracilis et ejuncida vitis, id. 17, 22, 35, § 173: folium, id. 19, 8, 54, § 171: comae et lanuginis instar, Ov. Am. 1, 14, 23: stamen, id. M. 6, 54: catena, id. ib. 4, 176; cf.: vinculum auri, Petr. 126: cacumen, Ov. M. 10, 140: coronae, Juv. 12, 87: viae petauri, Mart. 2, 86, 7; cf. rima, App. M. 4, p. 149: libellus, Mart. 8, 24, 1: umbra, Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 86: spuma, Vulg. Sap. 5, 15.— Comp.: glans brevior et gracilior, Plin. 16, 6, 8, § 19.—Sup.: fuit (Nero) ventre projecto, gracillimis cruribus, Suet. Ner. 51.—
B. Transf., opp. to fat or rich, meagre, scanty, poor (post-Aug.): ager, Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 187: clivi, Col. 2, 4, 11: vindemiae, Plin. Ep. 9, 20, 2; 8, 15, 1: gracili Lare vivere, App. Mag. p. 287; cf. pauperies, id. M. 9, p. 219.—
II. Trop., of style, simple, plain, unadorned (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): materiae gracili sufficit ingenium. Ov. P. 2, 5, 26; cf.: lusimus, Octavi, gracili modulante Thalia, Verg. Cul. 1: et in carmine et in soluta oratione genera dicendi probabilia sunt tria, quae Graeci χαρακτῆρας vocant nominaque eis fecerunt ἁδρόν, ἰσχνόν, μέσον. Nos quoque, quem primum posuimus, uberem vocamus, secundum gracilem, tertium mediocrem. Uberi dignitas atque amplitudo est: gracili venustas et subtilitas: medius in confinio est utriusque modi particeps, etc., Gell. 7, 14, 1 sq.; cf.: inter gracile validumque tertium aliquid constitutum est, Quint. 12, 10, 66: praefationes tersae, graciles, dulces, Plin. Ep. 2, 3, 1.—Of the speaker: non possumus esse tam graciles, simus fortiores, Quint. 12, 10, 36.—Hence, adv.: grăcĭlĭter, slenderly.
1. Lit., App. M. 3, p. 130.—
2. Trop.: alia ornatius, alia gracilius esse dicenda, more simply, Quint. 9, 4, 130.

Origins

From an Old Latin verb *graceō or *craceō (“to be meager, slim”), from Proto-Indo-European *kerḱ- (“to become thin, to wane”), related to Sanskrit कृश (kṛśa, “thin, lean”), Lithuanian karštu (“to age”), and Avestan 𐬐𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬯𐬀 (kər^əsa, “meager, lean”). Also compare cracens (“slender”) and Proto-Germanic *hurhaz (“lean”) whence Icelandic hor (“emaciation”).

Descendants
  • Italiangraciolo
  • Frenchgrêlefrom Old French graisle
  • Englishgracile
  • Frenchgracile
  • Italiangracile
  • Spanishgrácil
  • Old Catalangrayle
  • Old Occitangraile
  • Romanshgraschel
  • Albaniangrel

In English words that came into English from gracilis

  • gracilegracilis
  • gracilisgracilis

Quick answers

What does gracilis mean in Latin?
gracilis, a adjective, means “slender, slim, thin; meager, scanty, lean; unadorned, simple”.
How do you pronounce gracilis?
In classical Latin, [ˈɡra.kɪ.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈɡraː.t͡ʃi.lis].