adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective
mediocris
mediocris (neuter mediocre, comparative mediocrior, superlative medioximus, adverb mediocriter)
Classical[mɛˈdi.ɔ.krɪs]Ecclesiastical[meˈdiː.o.kris]
Meaning
- two terminationmiddling, moderate, medium
- two terminationtolerable, ordinary, normal
- two terminationmediocre, indifferent
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | mediocris | mediocris | mediocre |
| genitive | mediocris | mediocris | mediocris |
| dative | mediocrī | mediocrī | mediocrī |
| accusative | mediocrem | mediocrem | mediocre |
| ablative | mediocrī | mediocrī | mediocrī |
| vocative | mediocris | mediocris | mediocre |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | mediocrēs | mediocrēs | mediocria |
| genitive | mediocrium | mediocrium | mediocrium |
| dative | mediocribus | mediocribus | mediocribus |
| accusative | mediocrīs mediocrēs | mediocrīs mediocrēs | mediocria |
| ablative | mediocribus | mediocribus | mediocribus |
| vocative | mediocrēs | mediocrēs | mediocria |
Lewis & Short A Latin Dictionary, 1879
mĕdĭō^cris, e (ō usually; rarely ŏ), adj. medius,
I. in a middle state between too much and too little, middling, moderate, tolerable, ordinary; sometimes also, not remarkable, indifferent, mediocre.
I. In gen. (class.).
A. Lit., of size, quantity, degree, etc., in material things:
castellum, Sall. J. 92, 5: spatium, Caes. B. G. 5, 43: agmen, Hirt. B. G. 8, 9: intervallum, id. B. Alex. 30.—B. Of mind, character, ability, acts, achievements, etc.:
C. L. Memmii fuerunt oratores mediocres, Cic. Brut. 36, 136: L. Cotta in mediocrium oratorum numero, id. ib. 36, 137: non mediocres viri, sed maximi et docti, id. Rep. 3, 11, 19: homines, id. de Or. 1, 21, 94: vir, Just. 1, 4, 4: poëta, Hor. A. P. 372: in mediocribus vel studiis vel officiis, Cic. Rep. 1, 3, 4: amicitia, id. Lael. 6, 10: malum, id. Tusc. 3, 10, 22: artes, id. de Or. 1, 2, 6: eloquentia, id. ib. 1, 29, 133: ingenium, id. ib. 2, 27, 119: excusare ... mediocris est animi, narrow, small, Caes. B. C. 3, 20: ut mediocris jacturae te mergat onus, Juv. 13, 7.—II. Esp.
A. Per litoten, with non (haud, nec), not insignificant, not common or trivial:
Jugurthae non mediocrem animum pollicitando accendebant, i. e. ardent, ambitious, Sall. J. 8, 1: non mediocris hominis haec sunt officia, Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 9: haud mediocris hic, ut ego quidem intellego, vir fuit, Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 55: nec mediocre telum ad res gerendas, id. Lael. 17, 61: non mediocrem sibi diligentiam adhibendam intellegebat, uncommon, extraordinary, Caes. B. G. 3, 20: praemium non mediocre, Suet. Vesp. 18: non mediocris dissensio, Quint. 9, 1, 10 et saep.—*B. With syllaba, common = anceps:
syllabarum longarum et brevium et mediocrium junctura, Gell. 16, 18, 5.—Hence, adv.: mĕdĭō^crĭ-ter. 1. Moderately, tolerably, ordinarily, not particularly, not very, not remarkably, not much (class.):
ordo annalium mediocriter nos retinet, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 5: corpus mediocriter aegrum, id. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.— (b). By litotes, with haud, ne, non (cf.:
supra, mediocris, II. A.): flagitium, et damnum haud mediocriter, Plaut. Merc. 2, 1, 13: non mediocriter, in no moderate degree, Caes. B. G. 1, 39: reprehensus est non mediocriter, i. e. greatly, exceedingly, very much, Quint. 11, 1, 17; so id. 8, 2, 2; 9; 11, 1, 57 al.—(g). Very little:
ne mediocriter quidem disertus, not in the least, Cic. de Or. 1, 20, 91.—2. With moderation, calmly, tranquilly = modice (rare, and perh. only in Cic.):
quod mihi non mediocriter ferendum videtur, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 41, § 95.— Comp.: hoc vellem mediocrius, Cic. Att. 1, 20, 5.Origins
From medius and maybe ocris (“rugged mountain”), as if "halfway up".
Descendants
- Catalanmediocre
- Frenchmédiocre
- Englishmediocrefrom French médiocre
- Romanianmediocrufrom French médiocre
- Italianmediocre
- Portuguesemedíocre
- Spanishmediocre