adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)
līber1
līber (feminine lībera, neuter līberum, comparative līberior, superlative līberrimus, adverb līberē)
Classical[ˈliː.bɛr]Ecclesiastical[ˈliː.ber]
№ 901 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- adjectivefree, independent, unrestricted, unchecked, unrestrained, licentious
Nēmō līber est quī corporī servit.
No one is free who is a slave to his body.65 CE, Lucius Anneus Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium Epistula XCII - adjectivefreeman, freewoman
Haud istūc rogō. Fuistin līber? — Fuī.
That isn’t what I’m asking about. Were you a freeman? — I was.c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 3.4.94–95DĀVUS: Vērum! Vīdī Cantharam / suffarcinātam! MȲSĪS: Dīs Pol habeō grātiam / quom in pariundō aliquot adfuērunt līberae!
DAVUS: It’s true! I saw Canthara bundling [the baby]! MYSIS (sarcastically): By Pollux, I thank heaven that there were some freewomen present at the birth! (The only mention of “Canthara” implies that she might be a more reliable witness than the enslaved Mysis.)166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 769–771 - adjectiveopen (not decided or settled)
- adjectiveunbiased (pertains to lawyers)
- adjectiveexempt, void
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
continet fābulās, carmina, historiās; ex chartīs fit.liber -brī m — in Mille Verba, Artēs et Litterae
book
liber -brī — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 24 and Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 2, 6, 18, 21
free
līber -era -erum — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 2, 7, 21 and Seneca, ch. X
a book
liber — in Seneca, ch. VII
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | in -er līber | lībera | līberum |
| genitive | līberī | līberae | līberī |
| dative | līberō | līberae | līberō |
| accusative | līberum | līberam | līberum |
| ablative | līberō | līberā | līberō |
| vocative | līber | lībera | līberum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | līberī | līberae | lībera |
| genitive | līberōrum | līberārum | līberōrum |
| dative | līberīs | līberīs | līberīs |
| accusative | līberōs | līberās | lībera |
| ablative | līberīs | līberīs | līberīs |
| vocative | līberī | līberae | lībera |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- liber perditus
- a lost book of which fragments (relliquiae, not fragmenta) remain.
- est liber de...
- there exists a book on...
- liber deperditus
- a book which has been entirely lost sight of.
- libera re publica
- in the time of the Republic.
- cum uxoribus et liberis
- with wife and child.
- liber intercidit, periit
- the book has been lost.
- liber qui fertur alicuius
- a book which is attributed to some one.
- liber mihi est in manibus
- to be engaged on a book.
16 more phrases
- liber plenus delectationis
- a very charming book.
- tollere or suscipere liberos
- to accept as one's own child; to make oneself responsible for its nurture and education.
- liber, oratio in manibus est
- the book, speech can easily be obtained.
- aliquem in liberorum loco habere
- to treat as one's own child.
- libera res publica, liber populus
- the Republic.
- liberum populum servitute afficere
- to enslave a free people.
- liber accurate, diligenter scriptus
- a carefully written book.
- liber refertur ad nescio quem auctorem
- the book is attributed to an unknown writer.
- liber (scriptoris) conversus, translatus
- the work when translated; translation (concrete).
- liber inscribitur Laelius (Off. 2. 9. 30)
- the book is entitled "Laelius".
- libera contumacia Socratis (Tusc. 1. 29. 71)
- the frank but defiant demeanour of Socrates (before his judges).
- exstat liber (notice the order of the words)
- the book is still extant.
- a partibus rei publicae animus liber (Sall. Cat. 4. 2)
- an independent spirit.
- populum liberum esse, libertate uti, sui iuris esse pati
- to grant a people its independence.
- libera corpora sub corona (hasta) veneunt (B. G. 3. 16. 4)
- the free men are sold as slaves.
- hic liber est de amicitia (not agit) or hoc libro agitur de am.
- the book treats of friendship.
līber, ĕra, ĕrum (old form, loebesum et loebertatem antiqui dicebant liberum et libertatem. Ita Graeci λοιβὴν et λείβειν, Paul. ex Fest. p. 121 Müll.; cf. 2. Liber), adj. Gr. root λιφ-, λίπτω, to desire; cf. Sanscr. lub-dhas, desirous; Lat. libet, libido,
I. that acts according to his own will and pleasure, is his own master; free, unrestricted, unrestrained, unimpeded, unshackled; independent, frank, open, bold (opp. servus, servilis).
I. In gen.; constr. absol., with ab, the abl., and poet. also with gen.
(a). Absol.:
dictum est ab eruditissimis viris, nisi sapientem liberum esse neminem. Quid est enim libertas? Potestas vivendi ut velis, Cic. Par. 5, 1, 33: an ille mihi liber, cui mulier imperat, cui leges imponit, praescribit, jubet, vetat? etc., id. ib. 5, 2, 36: ad scribendi licentiam liber, id. N. D. 1, 44, 123: agri immunes ac liberi, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 69, § 166: integro animo ac libero causam defendere, unprejudiced, unbiased, id. Sull. 31, 86: liberi ad causas solutique veniebant, not under obligations, not bribed, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 78 § 192; cf.: libera lingua, Plaut. Cist. 1, 2, 9: cor liberum, id. Ep. 1, 2, 43: vocem liberam mittere adversus aliquem, Liv. 35, 32, 6: libera verba animi proferre, Juv. 4, 90: judicium audientium relinquere integrum ac liberum, Cic. Div. 2, 72, 150: aliquid respuere ingenuo liberoque fastidio, id. Brut. 67, 236: libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio, id. Fin. 1, 10, 33: tibi uni vexatio direptioque sociorum impunita fuit ac libera, id. Cat. 1, 7, 18: pars quaestionum vaga et libera et late patens, id. de Or. 2, 16, 67: liberum arbitrium eis populo Romano permittente, Liv. 31, 11 fin.; cf. id. 37, 1, 5: mandata, full powers, unlimited authority, id. 37, 56; 38, 8: fenus, unlimited, id. 35, 7: custodia, free custody (i. e. confinement to a house or to a town), id. 24, 45; Vell. 1, 11, 1; v. custodia, II.: legatio, v. legatio: suffragia, the right of voting freely, Juv. 8, 211: locus, free from intruders, undisturbed, secure, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 49; 3, 2, 25; id. Cas. 3, 2, 4: aedes, a free house, free dwelling (assigned to the use of ambassadors of friendly nations during their stay in Rome), Liv. 30, 17 fin.; 35, 23; 42, 6: lectulus, i. e. not shared with a wife, Cic. Att. 14, 13, 5: toga (poet. for virilis toga), a man's (prop. of one who is his own master), Ov. F. 3, 771: vestis, id. ib. 3, 777: libera omnia sibi servare, to reserve to one's self full liberty, Plin. Ep. 1, 5.—Comp.: hoc liberiores et solutiores sumus, quod, etc., Cic. Ac. 2, 3, 8: est finitimus oratori poëta, numeris astrictior paulo, verborum licentia liberior, id. de Or. 1, 16, 70: liberiores litterae, id. Att. 1, 13, 1: amicitia remissior esse debet et liberior et dulcior, freer, more unrestrained, more cheerful, id. Lael. 18 fin.: paulo liberior sententia, Quint. 4, 2, 121: liberior in utramque partem disputatio, id. 7, 2, 14: fusiores liberioresque numeri, id. 9, 4, 130: officia liberiora plenioraque, id. 6, 1, 9: (flumina) campo recepta Liberioris aquae, freer, less impeded, Ov. M. 1, 41; cf.: (Tiberinus) campo liberiore natat, freer, opener, id. F. 4, 292: liberiore frui caelo, freer, opener, id. M. 15, 301.—Sup.: liberrimum hominum genus, comici veteres tradunt, etc., the frankest, most free-spoken, Quint. 12, 2, 22; cf.: liberrime Lolli, most frank, most ingenuous, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 1: indignatio, id. Epod. 4, 10.—(b). Free or exempt from, void of; with ab:
Mamertini vacui, expertes, soluti ac liberi fuerunt ab omni sumptu, molestia, munere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 10, § 23; cf.: (consul) solutus a cupiditatibus, liber a delictis, id. Agr. 1, 9, 27: ab observando homine perverso liber, id. Att. 1, 13, 2: liber a tali irrisione Socrates, liber Aristo Chius, id. Ac. 2, 39, 123: ab omni animi perturbatione liber, id. Off. 1, 20, 67; id. N. D. 2, 21, 55: loca abdita et ab arbitris libera, id. Att. 15, 16, B: libera a ferro crura, Ov. P. 1, 6, 32: animus liber a partibus rei publicae, Sall. C. 4.—(g). With abl.:
animus omni liber curā et angore, free from, without, Cic. Fin. 1, 15: animus religione, Liv. 2, 36: animus cogitationibus aliis, Quint. 11, 2, 35: mens omnibus vitiis, id. 12, 1, 4; cf.: liberis odio et gratia mentibus, id. 5, 11, 37: omni liber metu, Liv. 7, 34: liber invidia, Quint. 12, 11, 7: equus carcere, Ov. Am. 2, 9, 20.—(d). With gen. (poet.):
liber laborum, Hor. A. P. 212: fati gens Lydia, Verg. A. 10, 154: curarum, Luc. 4, 384. —Comp.: liberior campi, having a wider space, Stat. S. 4, 2, 24.—(ε) Liberum est, with subject-clause: quam (opinionem) sequi magis probantibus liberum est, it is free, permitted, allowable, Quint. 6, 3, 112; Plin. Ep. 1, 8: dies eligere certos liberum erat, Plin. 30, 2, 6, § 16.—So in abl. absol.: libero, quid firmaret mutaretve, Tac. A. 3, 60.II. In partic.
A. Free, in a social point of view, not a slave (opp. servus;
also to ingenuus): neque vendendam censes quae libera est, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 40; cf. id. ib. v. 28: dis habeo gratiam quom aliquot affuerunt liberae, because slaves were not permitted to testify, id. And. 4, 4, 32; opp. ingenuus, free-born: quid ea? ingenuan' an festucā facta e servā liberast? Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 14: in jure civili, qui est matre liberā, liber est, Cic. N. D. 3, 18, 45; id. Caecin. 36, 96: si neque censu, neque vindictā, nec testamento liber factus est (servus), non est liber, id. Top. 2, 10: quae (assentatio) non modo amico, sed ne libero quidem digna est, of a freeman, id. Lael. 24, 89; Quint. 11, 1, 43: liberorum hominum alii ingenui sunt, alii libertini, Gai. Inst. 1, 10; cf. sqq.: ex ancilla et libero jure gentium servus nascitur, id. ib. 1, 82; cf. § 85; Paul. Sent. 2, 24, 1 sqq.—B. Free, in a political point of view;
said both of a people not under monarchical rule and of one not in subjection to another people, Cic. Rep. 1, 32, 48; cf.: ut ex nimia potentia principum oritur interitus principum, sic hunc nimis liberum populum libertas ipsa servitute afficit, id. ib. 1, 44, 68: liber populus, id. ib. 3, 34, 46: (Demaratus) vir liber ac fortis, democratic, republican, fond of liberty, id. ib. 2, 19, 34: civitates liberae atque immunes, free from service, Liv. 37, 55: provinciae civitatesque liberae, Suet. Vesp. 8: libera ac foederata oppida, id. Calig. 3: Roma patrem patriae Ciceronem libera dixit, Juv. 8, 244.—C. In a bad sense, esp. with reference to sensual pleasure, unbridled, unchecked, unrestrained, licentious:
quam liber harum rerum multarum siet (Juppiter), Plaut. Am. prol. 105: adulescens imprudens et liber, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 40; cf.: sit adulescentia liberior, somewhat freer, Cic. Cael. 18, 42: amores soluti et liberi, id. Rep. 4, 4, 4: consuetudo peccandi, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 76, § 177.—Hence, adv.: lībĕrē, freely, unrestrictedly, without let or hinderance; frankly, openly, boldly: qui nihil dicit, nihil facit, nihil cogitat denique, nisi libenter ac libere, Cic. Par. 5, 1, 34: animus somno relaxatus solute movetur et libere, id. Div. 2, 48, 100: respirare, id. Quint. 11, 39: constanter et libere (me gessi), id. Att. 4, 16, 9: consilium dare, id. Lael. 13, 44: aliquid magis accusatorie quam libere dixisse, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 72, § 176: omnia libere fingimus et impune, Quint. 6, 1, 43: ut ingredi libere (oratio), non ut licenter videatur errare, Cic. Or. 23, 77.— Comp.: liberius vivendi fuit potestas, Ter. And. 1, 1, 23: loqui, Cic. Planc. 13, 33: fortius liberiusque defendere, Quint. 12, 1, 21: liberius si Dixero quid, Hor. S. 1, 4, 103: maledicere, id. ib. 2, 8, 37: longius et liberius exseritur digitus, Quint. 11, 3, 92; cf. id. 11, 3, 97: ipsaque tellus Omnia liberius, nullo poscente, ferebat, freely, of itself, spontaneously, Verg. G. 1, 127.līber, ĕri (
I. gen. plur. liberūm, Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 9; Turp. ap. Non. 495, 26; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; 2, 1, 30, § 77; Tac. A. 2, 38; 3, 25 saep.; cf. Cic. Or. 46, 155;
but also: liberorum, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 30, § 76; 2, 5, 42, § 109), m. 1. liber, a child. I. Sing. (post-class. and rare):
si quis maximam portionem libero relinquat, Cod. Just. 3, 28, 33; 5, 9, 8 fin.; Quint. Decl. 2, 8.—II. Plur., children (freq.; but in class. Lat. only of children with reference to their parents: pueri = children in general, as younger than adulescentes; cf. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 657 sq.).
A. Lit.: liberorum genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Or. 46, 155 (Trag. v. 347 Vahl.): liberorum sibi quaesendum gratia, id. ap. Fest. p. 258 Müll. (Trag. v. 161 Vahl.):
cum conjugibus et liberis, Cic. Att. 8, 2, 3: eum ex C. Fadii filiā liberos habuisse, id. ib. 16, 11, 1: liberos procreare, id. Tusc. 5, 37, 109: suscipere liberos, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 69, § 161: per liberos te precor, Hor. Epod. 5, 5: dulces, id. ib. 2, 40: parvuli, Quint. 2, 15, 8; opp. parentes, id. 11, 1, 82; 3, 7, 18; 26; 6, 1, 18; 6, 5 al.: mater quae liberos, quasi oculos (amisit), orba est, Sulp. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 182 Müll.: jus trium liberorum, under the emperors, a privilege enjoyed by those who had three legitimate children (it consisted in the permission to fill a public office before one's twenty-fifth year, and in freedom from personal burdens); this privilege was sometimes also bestowed on those who had fewer than three children, or even none at all; also of one child: non est sine liberis, cui vel unus filius unave filia est, Dig. 50, 16, 148; Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 6; Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 15; id. Heaut. 1, 1, 99; id. And. 5, 3, 20; Cic. Phil. 1, 1, 2; id. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 33; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; ib. 30, § 76 Zumpt; cf. also Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5: neque ejus legendam filiam (virginem Vestalem) ... qui liberos tres haberet, Gell. 1, 12, 8: uxores duxerant, ex quibus plerique liberos habebant, Caes. B. C. 3, 110, 2.—Of grandchildren and great-grandchildren: liberorum appellatione nepotes et pronepotes ceterique qui ex his descendunt, continentur, Dig. 50, 16, 220; cf.: liberi usque ad trinepotem, ultra hos posteriores vocantur, ib. 38, 10, 10, § 7: habitus sis in liberum loco, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40.—2. Esp.
(a). Of sons (opp. daughters):
procreavit liberos septem totidemque filias, Hyg. Fab. 9.—(b). Of children in gen. = pueri:
praecepta Chrysippi de liberorum educatione, Quint. 1, 11, 17; cf.: Catus aut de liberis educandis, the title of a book by Varro, v. Gell. 4, 19, 2; Macr. S. 3, 6, 5.—B. Transf., of animals, young:
liberis orbas oves, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 38.—Comically: quaerunt litterae hae sibi liberos: alia aliam scandit, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 23.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
līber era, erum, adj. with comp. and sup.
LIB-, free, unrestricted, unrestrained, unimpeded, unembarrassed, unshackled : ad scribendi licentiam: integro animo ac libero causam defendere, unbiassed : liberi ad causas solutique veniebant, under no obligations : vox, L.: libera Verba animi proferre, Iu.: tibi uni vexatio direptioque sociorum impunita fuit ac libera: liberum est alcui non adesse, he is free : libero, quid firmaret (abl absol .), i. e. with full power to ratify , Ta.: mandata, unlimited authority , L.: faenus, unrestricted , L.: custodia, i. e. surveillance without imprisonment , L.: in liberis custodiis haberi, S.: suffragia, the right of voting freely , Iu.: aedes, free quarters (for ambassadors in Rome), L.: lectulus, i. e. single : toga, i. e. a man's , O.: liberas fruges ferre, i. e. spontaneous , H.: agri, untaxed : neque Turno mora libera mortis, i. e. nor is he free to delay death , V.: vina, freeing from care , H.: hoc liberiores et solutiores sumus, quod, etc.: pöeta, verborum licentiā liberior. liberiores litterae: amicitia, more unrestrained : (flumina) Liberioris aquae, less impeded , O.: (Tiberinus) campo liberiore natat, more open , O.: liberrime Lolli, most frank , H.: indignatio, most outspoken , H.: ab omni sumptu, exempt : (consul) a deliciis, uninfluenced : ab observando homine perverso, i. e. from all regard for , etc.: animus a partibus rei p., S.: animus omni curā, free : animus religione, L.: (equus) liber habenis, V.: liber laborum, H.— Free, not subject, not slave : neque vendendam censes Quae liberast, T.: dis habeo gratiam Quom aliquot adfuerunt liberae (as competent to testify), T.: populus: (civitates) liberae atque inmunes, free from service , L.: Roma, Iu.: Devota morti pectora libera, i. e. delivering from servitude , H.—As subst m. : (adsentatio) ne libero quidem digna, a freeman .—As subst n. : libera meliore iure sunt quam serva, i. e. the law is on the side of freedom.—Unbridled, unchecked, free, unrestrained, licentious : adulescens, T.: sit adulescentia liberior, somewhat freer : libero mendacio abuti, L.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁lewdʰ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁léwdʰeros
- Proto-Italic*louðeros
- Old Latinloeber
- Latinlīber
Inherited from Old Latin loeber, from Proto-Italic *louðeros, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁léwdʰeros, from *h₁lewdʰ- + *-teros. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐλεύθερος (eleútheros), Sanskrit रोधति (ródhati), Dutch lieden, German Leute, Russian лю́ди (ljúdi, “people”).
Elsewhere
- Catalanlliure
- Italianlibero
- Occitanliure
- Portugueselivrefrom Old Galician-Portuguese livre
- Spanishlibre
- Englishlibrefrom Spanish libre
- Sardinianlíbberu
- Sardinianlíveru
- Frenchlibrefrom Old French libre
- Romanianliberfrom Old French libre
Old Leonese
- Asturianllibre
- Asturianchibre
- Extremaduranlibri
- Leonesellibru
- Mirandeselibre
- Mirandeselhibre
In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries
AntiquitiesLiberLiber (βίβλος, βιβλίον), a book. But it must be recollected that these words in Greek and Latin until a very late period mean a book in the form of a …AntiquitiesLiberLiber, LIBERTAS. The division of men into free and slaves is the summa divisio de jure personarum (Gaius, 1.9; Inst. 1.3, pr.): according as a man is …