optimās1
Meaning
- one terminationof or pertaining to the best
- one terminationof or pertaining to the noblest
- one terminationaristocratic, noble
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
prīmōrēs cīvitātisChoosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Primores · Principes · Proceres · Optimates
Primores and principes denote the most eminent persons in a state, as a class of the most influential and respectable citizens, in opp. to insignificant persons; primores, so far as they are so by their connections, birth, power, and credit; principes, so far as they have raised themselves by their intellect, commanding talent, and activity to take the lead in debates, to be at the head of parties, to be the first men even among the primores, and in the whole state; whereas proceres, as far as they are so from their natural position, as the nobility, in opp. to the commonalty; optimates, as a political class, as the aristocracy, in opp. to the democracy. Accius apud Non. Primores procerum provocaret nomine. (v. 346.)
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | optimās | optimās | optimās |
| genitive | optimātis optumātis | optimātis optumātis | optimātis optumātis |
| dative | optimātī optumātī | optimātī optumātī | optimātī optumātī |
| accusative | optimātem optumātem | optimātem optumātem | optimās |
| ablative | optimātī optimāte, optumāte, optumātī | optimātī optimāte, optumāte, optumātī | optimātī optimāte, optumāte, optumātī |
| vocative | optimās | optimās | optimās |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | optimātēs optumātēs | optimātēs optumātēs | optimātia optumātia |
| genitive | optimātium optumātium | optimātium optumātium | optimātium optumātium |
| dative | optimātibus optumātibus | optimātibus optumātibus | optimātibus optumātibus |
| accusative | optimātīs optimātēs, optumātēs, optumātīs | optimātīs optimātēs, optumātēs, optumātīs | optimātia optumātia |
| ablative | optimātibus optumātibus | optimātibus optumātibus | optimātibus optumātibus |
| vocative | optimātēs optumātēs | optimātēs optumātēs | optimātia optumātia |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- optimatium dominatus
- aristocracy (as a form of government).
- civitas, quae optimatium arbitrio regitur
- aristocracy (as a form of government).
- boni cives, optimi, optimates, also simply boni (opp. improbi); illi, qui optimatium causam agunt
- the aristocracy (as a party in politics).
res publica, quae ex tribus generibus illis, regali et optumati et populari confusa modice, Cic. Rep. 2, 23, 41 (from Non. 342, 31): matronae opulentae, optimates, Enn. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 6, 1 (Trag. v 294 Vahl.).—Hence, subst.: optĭmas (optŭm-), ātis, usually in plur.: optĭmātes (optŭm-), um and ĭum, comm., the adherents of the best men, in a political sense, i. e. the aristocratic party, the aristocrats (opp. populares, the popular party; cf.: primores, proceres): qui ita se gerebant, ut sua consilia optimo cuique probarent, optimates habebantur ... sunt principes consilii publici, sunt, qui eorum sectam sequuntur, Cic. Sest. 45, 96: cum (summa rerum) est penes delectos, tum illa civitas optimatium arbitrio regi dicitur (opp. to the regnum and the civitas popularis), id. Rep. 1, 26, 42; so, in optimatium dominatu, id. ib. 1, 27, 43: contra voluntatem omnium optimatum, id. Inv. 2, 17, 52: plebis, et optimatium certamina, Tac. A. 4, 32: omnes optimates Juda et Jerusalem, Vulg. Jer 27, 20 et saep.—In sing.: dum pudet te parum optimatem esse, Cael. ap Cic. Att. 10, 9, A, 2.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
Origins
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épi Proto-Indo-European *-tm̥mos ? Latin optimus Latin -ās Latin optimās From optimus (“very good, the best”, superlative of bonus) + -ās.