LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

imāgō

imāgō f (genitive imāginis)
Classical[ɪˈmaː.ɡoː]Ecclesiastical[iˈmaː.ɡo]
№ 754 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. image, imitation, likeness, statue, representation
  2. ancestral image
  3. ghost, apparition
  4. semblance, appearance, shadow
  5. echo
  6. conception, thought
  7. reminder
  8. rhetoriccomparison
  9. depiction

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quod faciem hominis in tabulā vel marmore mōnstrat.
imāgō -inis f — in Mille Verba, Artēs et Litterae

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Imago · Simulacrum · Statua · Signum

1. Imago and simulacrum denote, as the most general terms, any representation, whether a work of statuary or of painting; imago (μηχανή) is allied to the original, as to a pattern, by a striking likeness of form, like εἰκών; simulacrum is opposed to the original, as a real being, by a deceptive imitation of its form, like εἴδωλον; whereas statua, signum, and effigies, are merely plastic works; tabula and pictura, merely pictures. 2. Simulacrum and statua denote the copying of the whole figure, consequently, in the plastic art, standing figures; effigies and imago, principally the copying of the characteristic parts, namely, the features; effigies, in statuary, as busts; imago, in painting, as half-length portraits. Tac. Ann. i. 74. Alia in statua amputato capite Augusti effigiem Tiberii inditam. Hist. ii. 3. Simulacrum deæ effigie humana. Cic. Tusc. iii. 2, 3. Optimus quisque consectatur nullam eminentem effigiem (virtutis) sed adumbratam imaginem gloriæ. Signum (from sequo, to proclaim,) means any plastic work, in opp. to tabulæ and picturæ. Sal. Cat. 11. Cic. Orat. i. 35. Man. 14. Suet. Cæs. 47. Quintil. ix. 2. Cic. Verr. iv. 1; simulacrum means the sacred statue of a god, like ἄγαλμα; statua, the profane statue of a man, like ἀνδριάς. Cic. Cat. iii. 8. Simulacra deorum immortalium depulsa sunt et statuæ veterum hominum dejectæ. Tac. Ann. i. 73. Suet. Tib. 26. Cic. Verr. i. 22. Legati deorum simulacra venerabantur, itemque cætera signa et ornamenta lacrimantes intuebantur. (v. 237.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeimāgō
imāguncula
imāginēs
imāgunculae
genitiveimāginis
imāgunculae
imāginum
imāgunculārum
dativeimāginī
imāgunculae
imāginibus
imāgunculīs
accusativeimāginem
imāgunculam
imāginēs
imāgunculās
ablativeimāgine
imāgunculā
imāginibus
imāgunculīs
vocativeimāgō
imāguncula
imāginēs
imāgunculae

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

rerum imagines
creatures of the imagination.
vocis imago, or simply imago
an echo.
imaginem perfecti oratoris adumbrare
to sketch the ideal of an orator.
singularem quandam perfectionis imaginem animo concipere
to conceive an ideal.

ĭmāgo, ĭnis, f. cf. imitor,
I. an imitation, copy of a thing, an image, likeness (i. e. a picture, statue, mask, an apparition, ghost, phantom; the latter only poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf.: simulacrum, effigies, statua, sigillum): imago ab imitatione dicta, Paul. ex Fest. p. 112 Müll.; cf.: imago dicitur quasi imitago, Porphyr. Hor. C. 1, 12, 4.
I. Lit.
A. In gen., a representation, likeness (usu. of a person), statue, bust, picture: Spartiates Agesilaus neque pictam neque fictam imaginem suam passus est esse ... unus Xenophontis libellus in eo rege laudando facile omnes imagines omnium statuasque superavit, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 7: Demosthenes, cujus nuper inter imagines tuas ac tuorum imaginem ex aere vidi, id. Or. 31, 110: Epicuri in poculis et in anulis, id. Fin. 5, 1, 3: hominis imaginem gypso e facie ipsa primus omnium expressit ceraque in eam formam gypsi infusa emendare instituit Lysistratus Sicyonius, Plin. 35, 12, 44, § 153: Africani, Cic. Rep. 6, 10: mulieris, Quint. 7, 7, 5: Antigoni, id. 2, 13, 12: depictam in tabula sipariove imaginem rei, id. 6, 1, 32: si in tabula mea aliquis pinxerit velut imaginem, Gai. Inst. 2, 78: cereae, Hor. Epod. 17, 76; id. S. 1, 8, 43: ut dignus venias hederis et imagine macra, Juv. 7, 29: hoc tibi sub nostra breve carmen imagine vivat, Mart. 9, 1: epistula atque imago me certum fecit, i. e. the image on the seal, the signet, Plaut. Ps. 4, 6, 35; 4, 2, 29; 4, 7, 105: nunc amici anne inimici sis imago, Alcesime, mihi, sciam, i. e. will act like a friend, Plaut. Cas. 3, 1, 1.—
2. A phantom, ghost, apparition: infelix simulacrum atque ipsius umbra Creusae Visa mihi ante oculos et nota major imago, Verg. A. 2, 773; cf.: et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit imago, shade, spirit, Verg. A. 4, 654; Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 6; cf. id. ib. 1: non vanae redeat sanguis imagini, Hor. C. 1, 24, 15: (somnus) Vanum nocturnis fallit imaginibus, Tib. 3, 4, 56; cf. Hor. C. 3, 27, 40; Suet. Aug. 94; id. Calig. 50: te videt in somnis, tua sacra et major imago humana turbat pavidum, Juv. 13, 221: quid natum totiens falsis Ludis imaginibus? phantoms, Verg. A. 1, 408: ubique pavor et plurima mortis imago, id. ib. 2, 369; cf.: repetitaque mortis imago, Ov. M. 10, 726: lurida mortis imago, Petr. 123, v. 257: varia pereuntium forma et omni imagine mortium, Tac. H. 3, 28: caesorum insepultorumque, id. A. 1, 62: supremorum (i. e. funeris) imago, id. H. 4, 45.—Poet.: genitiva (with forma), natural shape, figure, Ov. M. 3, 331; so, rudis et sine imagine tellus (= informis), shapeless, id. ib. 1, 87.—
B. In partic., an ancestral image of a distinguished Roman (of one who had been aedile, praetor, or consul; usually made of wax, and placed in the atrium of a Roman house, and carried in funeral processions.—
(a). In plur.: obrepsisti ad honores errore hominum, commendatione fumosarum imaginum, quarum simile habes nihil praeter colorem, of smoky (i. e. old) ancestral images, Cic. Pis. 1, 1; cf. Sen. Ben. 3, 28, 1; Plin. 35, 2, 2, § 6: si quid deliquero, nullae sunt imagines, quae me a vobis deprecentur, no ancestors of distinction, Cic. Agr. 2, 36, 100; cf.: quia imagines non habeo et quia mihi nova nobilitas est, Sall. J. 85, 25: qui imagines familiae suae consecuti sunt, Cic. Agr. 2, 1, 1: homo veteris prosapiae ac multarum imaginum, Sall. J. 85, 10: majorum imagines, id. ib. 5, 5; Suet. Vesp. 1: multis in familia senatoriis imaginibus, id. Aug. 4: esto beata, funus atque imagines Ducant triumphales tuum, Hor. Epod. 8, 11: qui stupet in titulis et imaginibus, id. S. 1, 6, 17; Plin. 35, 2, 2, § 6 sqq.; Prop. 2, 13, 19; Suet. Vesp. 19.—
(b). In sing. (rare): jus imaginis, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 14, § 36: imaginis ornandae causa, id. Sest. 8, 19: vir honoratissimae imaginis futurus ad posteros, Liv. 3, 58, 2: clarum hac fore imagine Scaptium, would become an aristocrat, id. 3, 72, 4, v. Weissenb. ad loc.: Tunc Cotta ne imago Libonis exsequias posterorum comitaretur censuit, Tac. A. 2, 32.
II. Transf., a reverberation of sound, an echo (mostly poet.): (mellaria facere oportet) potissimum ubi non resonent imagines, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 12: concava pulsu Saxa sonant, vocisque offensa resultat imago, Verg. G. 4, 50; cf. Sil. 14, 365: alternae deceptus imagine vocis: Huc coëamus ait ... Coëamus retulit Echo, Ov. M. 3, 385: cujus recinit jocosa Nomen imago, Hor. C. 1, 12, 4; so, jocosa Vaticani montis, id. ib. 1, 20, 8: vaga, Val. Fl. 3, 596.
III. Trop.
A. In gen., an image or likeness of a thing formed in the mind, a conception, thought, imagination, idea: Scipionis memoriam atque imaginem sibi proponere, Cic. Lael. 27, 102: magnam partem noctium in imagine tua vigil exigo, Plin. Ep. 7, 5, 1: Verginium cogito, Verginium video, Verginium jam vanis imaginibus audio, id. ib. 2, 1, 12: imagines, quae εἴδωλα nominant, quorum incursione non solum videmus, sed etiam cogitamus, Cic. Fin. 1, 6, 21; cf.: imagines extrinsecus in animos nostros per corpus irrumpere, id. Ac. 2, 40, 125: plena sunt imaginum omnia, nulla species cogitari potest nisi pulsu imaginum, etc.; id. Div. 2, 67, 137 sq.: unum aliquem te ex barbatis illis, exemplum imperii veteris, imaginem antiquitatis, columen rei publicae diceres intueri, an image of the olden time, id. Sest. 8, 19; cf.: expressam imaginem vitae quotidianae videre, id. Rosc. Am. 16, 47: quidnam illi consules dictatoresve facturi essent, qui proconsularem imaginem tam saevam ac trucem fecerint, i. e. by cruelty in office, Liv. 5, 2, 9: naturae ... urbis et populi, Cic. Rep. 2, 39 fin.: justitiae, Quint. 2, 20, 6: virtutis, id. 10, 2, 15: similitudines ad exprimendas rerum imagines compositae, id. 8, 3, 72: illae rerum imagines, quas vocari φαντασίας indicavimus, id. 10, 7, 15: conscripta formantur imagine templa, plans, Stat. S. 3, 1, 117: scipione determinata prius templi imagine in solo, Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 15: tua, pater Druse, imago, memory, Tac. A. 1, 13: magna illic imago tristium laetorumque, recollection, id. ib. 2, 53: si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago, Verg. A. 6, 405.—
B. In partic.
1. In rhet., a figurative representation, similitude, comparison: comparabile est, quod in rebus diversis similem aliquam rationem continet. Ejus partes sunt tres: imago, collatio, exemplum. Imago est oratio demonstrans corporum aut naturarum similitudinem, etc., Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 49; cf.: imago est formae cum forma cum quadam similitudine collatio, Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62; Sen. Ep. 59, 92; Quint. 6, 1, 28; Hor. S. 2, 3, 320; id. Ep. 1, 7, 34.—
2. With the idea predominating of mere imitation, in opp. to what is original or real, a mere form, image, semblance, appearance, shadow: consectatur nullam eminentem effigiem virtutis, sed adumbratam imaginem gloriae, Cic. Tusc. 3, 2, 3: nos veri juris germanaeque justitiae solidam et expressam effigiem nullam tenemus: umbra et imaginibus utimur, id. Off. 3, 17, 69; cf.: non in umbra et imagine civitatis, etc., id. Rep. 2, 30; and: umbram equitis Romani et imaginem videtis, id. Rab. Post. 15, 41: haec ars tota dicendi, sive artis imago quaedam est et similitudo, habet hanc vim, ut, etc., id. de Or. 2, 87, 356: judiciorum, only the appearance of courts, id. Sest. 13, 30; cf.: imaginem rei publicae nullam reliquissent, id. Agr. 2, 32, 88: his quoque imaginibus juris spretis, Liv. 41, 8, 10: imaginem retinendi largiendive penes nos, vim penes Parthos, Tac. A. 15, 14: habitu et ore ad exprimendam imaginem honesti exercitus, the pretence, id. ib. 16, 32; 6, 27; id. H. 1, 84; 3, 70: qui faciem eloquentiae, non imaginem praestaret, id. Or. 34: nec imagine rerum, sed rebus incendit, Quint. 10, 1, 16: in falsa rerum imagine detineri, id. 10, 5, 17; cf.: nullo quippe alio vincis discrimine, quam quod illi (hermae) marmoreum caput est, tua vivit imago, Juv. 8, 55.—
3. A representative: non in effigies mutas divinum (Augusti) spiritum transfusum; sed imaginem veram, caelesti sanguine ortam, intellegere discrimen, etc., Tac. A. 4, 52.—
4. That which suggests or recalls something by resemblance, a reminder: me consolatur recordatio meorum temporum, quorum imaginem video in rebus tuis, Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: a Corbulone petierat, ne quam imaginem servitii Tiridates perferret, nothing to suggest slavery, Tac. A. 15, 31; cf.: moriar, si praeter te quemquam reliquum habeo, in quo possim imaginem antiquae et vernaculae festivitatis adgnoscere, Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 2.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *imā + -āgō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (“to imitate”). Cognate with imitor, aemulus, Old English emn, efn (“equal, level, even”). More at even.

Descendants
  • Catalanimatge
  • Englishimago
  • Frenchimagefrom Old French image
  • Englishimagefrom Old French image
  • Italianimmagine
  • Occitanimatgefrom Old Occitan image
  • Portugueseimagemfrom Old Galician-Portuguese omagen
  • Romanianimagine
  • Spanishimagen
  • Asturianimaxe

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

Quick answers

What does imāgō mean in Latin?
imāgō, a noun, means “image, imitation, likeness, statue, representation; ancestral image; ghost, apparition”.
What is the genitive of imāgō?
The genitive singular is imāginis. imāgō is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce imāgō?
In classical Latin, [ɪˈmaː.ɡoː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [iˈmaː.ɡo].