LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

medius

medius (feminine media, neuter medium, comparative magis medius or medior, superlative medioximus)
Classical[ˈmɛ.di.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈmɛː.di.us]
№ 162 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectivemiddle, mid, central, between, midway between, in the center
    urbs mediathe middle city
    in mediās rēsinto the middle of things
  2. adjectivehalf
  3. adjectivemoderate
  4. adjectiveindifferent, undecided
  5. adjectivethe middle of, the midst of
    media noxmidnight
    media urbsthe middle of the city

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Medius · Modicus · Mediocris

Medius μέσος is purely local, in the middle, in opp. to the extremes; modicus denotes quantity, with reference to number and magnitude, as moderate, in opp. to over-measure; mediocris denotes quality, with reference to worth, as middling, in opp. to distinction; hence modicæ facultates and mediocre ingenium are identical. Cic. Rep. ii. 31. Haud mediocris vir fuit, qui modica libertate populo data facilius tenuit auctoritatem principum. (v. 202.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemediusmediamedium
genitivemediīmediaemediī
dativemediōmediaemediō
accusativemediummediammedium
ablativemediōmediāmediō
vocativemediemediamedium
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemediīmediaemedia
genitivemediōrummediārummediōrum
dativemediīsmediīsmediīs
accusativemediōsmediāsmedia
ablativemediīsmediīsmediīs
vocativemediīmediaemedia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

medium esse
to be neutral.
media acies
the centre.
orbis medius
the temperate zone.
medium se gerere
to be neutral.
e or de medio tollere
to remove a person.
mare medium or internum
the Mediterranean Sea.
hoc in medio relinquamus
let us leave that undecided.
media quae vocatur aetas
the middle ages.
10 more phrases
in medium proferre aliquid
to bring a subject forward into discussion.
agmen medium (Liv. 10. 41)
the centre of the marching column.
in medio ponere (proponere)
to publish, make public.
in medios hostes se inicere
to rush into the midst of the foe.
medium sermonem abrumpere (Verg. Aen. 4. 388)
to break off in the middle of the conversation.
per medios hostes (mediam hostium aciem) perrumpere
to break through the enemy's centre.
aliquid in medio, in dubio relinquere (Cael. 20. 48)
to leave a thing undecided.
aetas constans, media, firmata, corroborata (not virilis)
manhood.
genus dicendi grave or grande, medium, tenue (cf. Or. 5. 20; 6. 21)
elevated, moderate, plain style.
foras efferri, palam fieri, percrebrescere, divulgari, in medium proferri, exire, emanare
to become known, become a topic of common conversation (used of things).

mĕdĭus, a, um, adj. Sanscr. madhya, the same; Gr. μέσος; Angl. - Sax. midd; Germ. Mitte; cf. dimidius, meridies (medi-), etc.,
I. that is in the middle or midst, mid, middle (class.).
I. Adj.
A. Lit.: terra complexa medium mundi locum, Cic. Rep. 6, 18, 18; cf. id. ib. 6, 17, 17: medium mundi locum petere, id. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: versus aeque prima, et media, et extrema pars attenditur, id. de Or. 3, 50, 192: ultimum, proximum, medium tempus, id. Prov. Cons. 18, 43: in foro medio, in the midst of the forum, Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 14; Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 6; cf.: medio foro, in the open forum, Suet. Claud. 18 al.: in solio medius consedit, sat in the middle, Ov. F. 3, 359; Verg. A. 7, 169: considit scopulo medius, id. G. 4, 436: concilio medius sedebat, Ov. M. 10, 144: ignes, Verg. A. 12, 201: medio tempore, in the meantime, meanwhile, Suet. Caes. 76: vinum novum, vetus, medium, i. e. neither old nor new, Varr. ap. Gell. 13, 31, 14: cum plenus fluctu medius foret alveus, full to the middle, Juv. 12, 30.—With dat.: Peloponnesii Megaram, mediam Corintho Athenisque urbem, condidere, midway between Corinth and Athens, Vell. 1, 2, 4.—With abl.: si medius Polluce et Castore ponar, between, Ov. Am. 2, 16, 13.—With inter: cum inter bellum et pacem medium nihil sit, there is no medium, no middle course between, Cic. Phil. 8, 1, 4: inter quos numeros duo medii inveniuntur (sc. numeri), Mart. Cap. 7, § 737.—With gen.: locus medius regionum earum, half-way between, Caes. B. G. 4, 19: locus medius juguli summique lacerti, between, Ov. M. 6, 409; 5, 564: et medius juvenum ibat, id. F. 5, 67: medius silentūm, Stat. Th. 4, 683.—With ex: medius ex tribus, Sall. J. 11, 3: medium arripere aliquem, to seize one by the middle, around the body, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 18: juvenem medium complectitur, Liv. 23, 9, 9: Alcides medium tenuit, held him fast by the middle, Luc. 4, 652: medium ostendere unguem, to point with the middle finger, Juv. 10, 53.—
2. Transf., half (ante- and postclass.): hieme demunt cibum medium, half their food, Varr. R. R. 3, 7, 9: scrupulum croci, Pall. Jan. 18: aurum ... Italicis totum, medium provincialibus reddidit, Capitol. Anton. Pius, 4 fin.—
B. Trop., of the middle, not very great or small, middling, medial, moderate.
1. Of age: aetatis mediae vir, of middle age, Phaedr. 2, 2, 3.—
2. Of plans, purposes, etc.: nihil medium, nec spem nec curam, sed immensa omnia volventes animo, Liv. 2, 49, 5: medium quiddam tenere, Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 9.—
3. Of intellect: eloquentiā medius, middling, tolerable, Vell. 2, 29, 2: ingenium, moderate, Tac. H. 1, 49.—
4. Undetermined, undecided: medios esse, i. e. neutral, Cic. Att. 10, 8, 4: medium se gerere, Liv. 2, 27: se dubium mediumque partibus praestitit, Vell. 2, 21, 1; cf.: responsum, indefinite, ambiguous, Liv. 39, 39: vocabula, that can be taken in a good or bad sense, ambiguous, Gell. 12, 9, 1. —
5. Indifferent, not imperative: officium, a duty which is not distinctly enjoined by the moral law, but is sustained by preponderant reasoning: medium officium id esse dicunt (Graeci) quod cur factum sit, ratio probabilis reddi possit, Cic. Off. 1, 3, 8; cf.: ex quo intellegitur, officium medium quiddam esse, quod neque in bonis ponatur neque in contrariis, id. Fin. 3, 17, 58; cf. sqq. and Madv. ad loc.: artes, which in themselves are neither good nor bad, indifferent, Quint. 2, 20, 1.—
6. Intermediate: medium erat in Anco ingenium, et Numae et Romuli memor, of a middle kind, resembling each in some degree, Liv. 1, 32, 4: nihil habet ista res (actoris) medium, sed aut lacrimas meretur aut risum, Quint. 6, 1, 45: ille jam paene medius adfectus est ex amoribus et desideriis amicorum, Quint. 6, 2, 17.—Hence, as subst.: mĕdĭus, i, m., one who stands or comes between, a mediator: medium sese offert, as a mediator, Verg. A. 7, 536: pacator mediusque Syphax, Sil. 16, 222: pacis eras mediusque belli, arbiter, Hor. C. 2, 19, 28; cf.: nunc mediis subeant irrita verba deis, oaths in which the gods were called upon to be mediators, Ov. R. Am. 678.—
7. Central, with ex or in: ex factione media consul, fully committed to it, Sall. H. 3, 61, 8; so (nearly = intimus), viros fortīs et magnanimos eosdem bonos et simplicīs ... esse volumus: quae sunt ex media laude justititiae, these qualities are clearly among those which make uprightness praiseworthy, Cic. Off. 1, 19, 63: partitiones oratoriae, quae e media illa nostra Academia effloruerunt, id. Part. Or. 40, 139: ingressio e media philosophia repetita est, id. Or. 3, 11; id. Leg. 2, 21, 53: in medio maerore et dolore, id. Tusc. 4, 29, 63; id. Q. Fr. 2, 15, 1: in media dimicatione, the hottest of the fight, Suet. Aug. 10; cf.: in medio ardore certaminis, Curt. 8, 4, 27: in media solitudine, the most profound, Sen. Brev. Vit. 12, 2: in mediis divitiis, in abundant wealth, id. Vit. Beat. 26, 1: in medio robore virium, Liv. 28, 35, 6: in medio ardore belli, id. 24, 45, 4: in media reipublicae luce, the full blaze of public life, Quint. 1, 2, 18: media inter pocula, Juv. 8, 217.—Hence,
II. Subst.: mĕdĭum, ii, n., the middle, midst.
A. Lit.
1. Of space (very rare in Cic.): in medio aedium sedens, Liv. 1, 57, 9: maris, id. 31, 45, 11; for which, without in, medio aedium eburneis sellis sedere, id. 5, 41, 2: medio viae ponere, id. 37, 13, 10: in agmine in primis modo, modo in postremis, saepe in medio adesse, Sall. J. 45, 2; for which, without in, medio sextam legionem constituit, Tac. A. 13, 38: medio montium porrigitur planities, id. ib. 1, 64: medio stans hostia ad aras, Verg. G. 3, 486: medio tutissimus ibis, Ov. M. 2, 137: in medium geminos immani pondere caestus Projecit, Verg. A. 5, 401: in medium sarcinas coniciunt, Liv. 10, 36, 1; 13: equitatus consulem in medium acceptum, armis protegens, in castra reduxit, id. 21, 46, 9.— Trop.: tamquam arbiter honorarius medium ferire voluisse, to cut through the middle, Cic. Fat. 17, 39: intacta invidiā media sunt, ad summa ferme tendit, Liv. 45, 35.—
2. Of time: diei, Liv. 27, 48: medio temporis, in the meantime, meanwhile, Tac. A. 13, 28; cf.: nec longum in medio tempus, cum, the interval, Verg. A. 9, 395; Ov. M. 4, 167; Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 13.—
B. Transf.
1. The midst of all, the presence of all, the public, the community (class.): in medio omnibus palma est posita, qui artem tractant musicam, lies open to all, Ter. Phorm. prol. 16: tabulae sunt in medio, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 42, § 104: rem totam in medio ponere, publicly, id. ib. 2, 1, 11, § 29: ponam in medio sententias philosophorum, id. N. D. 1, 6, 13: dicendi ratio in medio posita, lies open to all, id. de Or. 1, 3, 12: rem in medium proferre, to publish, make known, id. Fam. 15, 27, 6: vocare in medium, before the public, before a public tribunal: rem in medium vocare coeperunt, id. Clu. 28, 77: in medio relinquere, to leave it to the public, leave it undecided, id. Cael. 20, 48; Sall. C. 19, 16: pellere e medio, to expel, reject, Enn. ap. Cic. Mur. 14, 30 (Ann. v. 272 Vahl.); Cic. Off. 3, 8, 37: cum jacentia verba sustulimus e medio, adopt words from the people, common words, id. de Or. 3, 45, 177; cf.: munda sed e medio consuetaque verba puellae Scribite, Ov. A. A. 3, 479: tollere de medio, to do away with, abolish: litteras, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 71, § 176: tollere de medio, to put out of the way, cut off, destroy: hominem, id. Rosc. Am. 7, 20: de medio removere, to put out of sight, id. ib. 8, 23: e medio excedere or abire, to leave the world, to die: e medio excessit, she is dead, Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 74: ea mortem obiit, e medio abiit, id. ib. 5, 8, 30: tollite lumen e medio, Juv. 9, 106: recedere de medio, to go away, retire, withdraw: cur te mihi offers? recede de medio, Cic. Rosc. Am. 38, 112: in medio esse, to be present, Ter. Ad. 3, 5, 32: in medium venire or procedere, to appear, come forward, show one's self in public, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 71, § 175: in medium, before the public, for the public, for the community: communes utilitates in medium afferre, id. Off. 1, 7, 22: consulere in medium, to care for the public good, for the good of all, Verg. A. 11, 335; so opp. separantem suas res a publicis, Liv. 24, 22, 14 sq.; 26, 12, 7: quaerere, to make acquisitions for the use of all, Verg. G. 1, 127: cedere, to fall or devolve to the community, Tac. H. 4, 64: conferre laudem, i. e. so that all may have a share of it, Liv. 6, 6: dare, to communicate for the use of all, Ov. M. 15, 66: in medium conferre, in gaming, to put down, put in the pool, Suet. Aug. 71: in medio, for sub dio, in the open air: scorpios fugari posse, si aliqui ex eis urantur in medio, Pall. 1, 35, 12.—
2. A half (ante-class. and post-Aug.): scillae medium conterunt cum aqua, Varr. R. R. 2, 7: scrobem ad medium completo, Col. Arb. 4, 5.—Hence,
III. Adv.: mĕdĭē, in the middle, in a middling degree, moderately, tolerably (except once in Tac. only post-class.): qui noluerant medie, kept quiet, remained neutral, Tac. H. 1, 19: nec plane optimi, nec oppido deterrimi sunt, sed quasi medie morati, App. Dogm. Plat. 2, p. 22, 23; Eutr. 7, 13; Lact. 6, 15 fin.: ortus medie humilis, Aur. Vict. Caes. 20.—
2. Indefinitely, Ambros. in Luc. 8, 17, 34.
mĕdĭus fĭdĭus and mĕdĭusfĭdĭ-us, v. Fidius.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *meðios, from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos (“between”). Cognate with Ancient Greek μέσος (mésos), Sanskrit मध्य (mádhya), Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬜𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬥𐬀 (maⁱδiiāna), Old Armenian մէջ (mēǰ), Persian میان (miân) and Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌹𐍃 (midjis).

Borrowings
  • Englishmedius
  • Portuguesemídiafrom English medius
  • Englishmedia
  • Italianmedio
  • Sardinianmediafrom Italian medio
  • Italianmedia
  • Portuguesemédio
  • Portuguesemédia
  • Romanianmediu
  • Romanianmedie
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanmig
  • Frenchmi-
  • Occitanmièg
  • Occitanmiei
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianmeiu
  • Sardinianmesu
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianmezzo
  • Sardinianmezufrom Italian mezzo
  • Dalmatianmesu
  • Neapolitanmiezzo
  • Neapolitanmienzo
  • Sicilianmezzu
  • Sicilianmenzu
  • Venetanmezo
  • Venetanmexo
  • Venetanmiso
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianmiez
  • Aromaniannjedz
  • Aromaniannjedzu
  • Albanianmjez
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesemeiofrom Old Galician-Portuguese meio
  • Aragonesemeyo
  • Aragonesemicho
  • Aragonesemeya
  • Asturianmeu-
  • Asturianmeyu-
  • Asturianmegu-
  • Asturianmieu-
  • Asturianmiu-
  • Ladinomeyufrom Old Galician-Portuguese meio
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianmieç
  • Friulianmieğ
  • Romanshmez
  • Romanshmiez

Quick answers

What does medius mean in Latin?
medius, a adjective, means “middle, mid, central, between, midway between, in the center; half; moderate”.
How do you pronounce medius?
In classical Latin, [ˈmɛ.di.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈmɛː.di.us].