LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

lēnitās

lēnitās f (genitive lēnitātis)
Classical[ˈɫeː.nɪ.taːs]Ecclesiastical[ˈlɛː.ni.tas]

Meaning

  1. softness, smoothness
  2. gentleness, mildness, tenderness

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

mollitūdō, tarditās
gentleness; slowness
lēnitās -ātis (f) — in De Bello Gallico I, ch. 8

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelēnitāslēnitātēs
genitivelēnitātislēnitātum
dativelēnitātīlēnitātibus
accusativelēnitātemlēnitātēs
ablativelēnitātelēnitātibus
vocativelēnitāslēnitātēs

lēnĭtas, ātis, f. 1. lenis,
I. softness, smoothness, gentleness, mildness.
I. Lit.: vini, opp. asperitas, Plin. 14, 19, 24, § 120: lini, id. 13, 12, 26, § 82: Arar in Rhodanum influit incredibili lenitate, slowness, Caes. B. G. 1, 12: vocis, mildness, Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 182: smaragdi viridis lenitas, delicate green, Plin. 37, 5, 16, § 63.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., mildness, gentleness, tenderness, lenity: non est jam lenitati locus, severitatem res ipsa flagitat, Cic. Cat. 2, 4, 6: dare se ad lenitatem, id. Fam. 13, 1, 4: animi, with mollitia, id. Sull. 6, 18: animadvertendi, id. Part. Or. 22, 78: legum, id. Rab. Perd. 3, 10: remissa nimis lenitate uti, Gell. 11, 18, 6.—
B. In partic., of speech: elaborant alii in lenitate et aequabilitate, et puro quasi quodam et candido genere dicendi, Cic. Or. 16, 53: lenitas ejus sine nervis perspici potest, id. Brut. 48, 177: genus orationis cum lenitate quadam aequabili profluens, id. de Or. 2, 15, 64.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Latin -tās Latin lēnitās From lēnis + -tās.

Descendants
  • Italianlenità
  • Frenchlénitéfrom Middle French lénité
  • Englishlenityfrom Middle French lénité
  • Spanishlenidad

Quick answers

What does lēnitās mean in Latin?
lēnitās, a noun, means “softness, smoothness; gentleness, mildness, tenderness”.
What is the genitive of lēnitās?
The genitive singular is lēnitātis. lēnitās is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce lēnitās?
In classical Latin, [ˈɫeː.nɪ.taːs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈlɛː.ni.tas].