LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

praeclārus

praeclārus (feminine praeclāra, neuter praeclārum, comparative praeclārior, superlative praeclārissimus, adverb praeclārē)
Classical[prae̯ˈkɫaː.rʊs]Ecclesiastical[preˈklaː.rus]
praeclārō sg. dat. m.; sg. dat. n.; sg. abl. m.; sg. abl. n.

Meaning

  1. adjectivevery clear or bright
  2. adjectivefamous
  3. adjectivenoble, excellent
  4. adjectivesplendid, fine, beautiful

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Eminens · Excellens · Præclarus · Præstans · Insignis · Singularis · Unicus

1. Eminens, excellens, præclarus, and præstans, involve a quiet acknowledgment of superiority; whereas egregius, with an expression of enthusiasm, like glorious; eximius, with an expression of admiration, like excellent. 2. Eximius, &c. relate altogether to good qualities, like superior, and can be connected with vices and faults only in irony; whereas insignis, singularis, and unicus, are indifferent, and serve as well to heighten blame as praise, like distinguished, matchless. (vi. 111.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepraeclāruspraeclārapraeclārum
genitivepraeclārīpraeclāraepraeclārī
dativepraeclārōpraeclāraepraeclārō
accusativepraeclārumpraeclārampraeclārum
ablativepraeclārōpraeclārāpraeclārō
vocativepraeclārepraeclārapraeclārum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepraeclārīpraeclāraepraeclāra
genitivepraeclārōrumpraeclārārumpraeclārōrum
dativepraeclārīspraeclārīspraeclārīs
accusativepraeclārōspraeclārāspraeclāra
ablativepraeclārīspraeclārīspraeclārīs
vocativepraeclārīpraeclāraepraeclāra

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

in hoc praeclaro consulatu
during this brilliant consulship.
exemplum clarum, praeclarum
a good, brilliant example; a striking example.
agitur praeclare, bene cum aliquo
so-and-so is in a very satisfactory position; prospers.
bonam (praeclaram) gratiam referre
to reward amply; to give manifold recompense for.
urbs situ ad aspectum praeclara est
the city is very beautifully situated.
bene, praeclare (melius, optime) mereri de aliquo
to deserve well at some one's hands; to do a service to...
omnia de re publica praeclara atque egregia sentire
to have the good of the state at heart.

prae-clārus, a, um, adj.,
I. very clear, very bright.
I. Lit. (only poet. and very rare): lux, Lucr. 2, 1032: sol, id. 5, 120: iaspis, Juv. 5, 42.—
II. Transf., very beautiful (physically or morally), magnificent, honorable, splendid, noble, remarkable, distinguished, excellent, famous, celebrated (class.): vultus, Lucr. 4, 1033: urbs situ praeclaro ad aspectum, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 52, § 117: aries praeclarior, Att. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 22, 44: homo praeclarā virtute et formā, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 51: praeclaris operibus laetari, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 7: praeclara indoles ad dicendum, id. de Or. 1, 29, 131: genus dicendi magnificum atque praeclarum, id. ib. 2, 21, 82: eximia et praeclara, id. Off. 1, 20, 67: praeclara et magnifica, id. Or. 4, 15: multi praeclari in philosophiā et nobiles, id. de Or. 1, 11, 46: gens bello praeclara, Verg. A. 8, 480; 12, 347: nec quicquam est praeclarius aut praestantius, Cic. Fam. 10, 5, 2: praeclarissimum facinus, Nep. Tim. 1, 5: praeclarum est popularem me esse in populi salute, Cic. ad Brut. 1, 3, 2 fin.: res, distinguished wealth, opulence, Hor. S. 2, 5, 46.— Of medicines that operate well, excellent, efficacious, etc.: rubrica in medicinā res praeclara habetur, Plin. 35, 6, 14, § 33; 20, 7, 26, § 61; 27, 4, 14, § 31; cf. usus, id. 23, 3, 36, § 73: utilitas, id. 22, 24, 51, § 110.—Ironically: illa praeclara tua patientia famis, Cic. Cat. 1, 10, 26; cf.: praeclaram populo Romano refers gratiam, id. ib. 1, 11, 28.—In a bad sense, noted, notorious: sceleribus suis ferox atque praeclarus, Sall. J. 14, 21.—
(b). With gen.: T. Livius, eloquentiae ac fidei praeclarus in primis, Tac. A. 4, 34.—Hence, adv., in two forms, praeclare and praeclariter.
A. Form praeclārē.
1. Very clearly, very plainly: praeclare aliquid explicare, Cic. Ac. 1, 9, 33: praeclare intellego, id. Fam. 13, 7, 1: praeclare memini, id. ib. 4, 7, 2: invenire, Plin. Ep. 3, 13, 3: praeclare et apposite et facete scribere, Gell. 2, 23, 11.—
2. Excellently, admirably, very well: praeclare nobiscum actum iri, si, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 9; cf.: omnino praeclare te habes, cum, etc., id. ib. 2, 2, 61, § 149: simulacrum praeclare factum e marmore, id. ib. 2, 4, 44, § 96: praeclare facitis, qui, etc., id. Phil. 3, 10, 25: praeclare dicere aliquid, id. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: gerere negotium, id. Rosc. Com. 10, 34: praeclarissime aliquid facere, id. Mil. 35, 96.—Of medicines that operate well, excellently, efficaciously, etc.: radix caeliacis praeclare facit, Plin. 22, 19, 22, § 48; 26, 15, 90, § 161; 29, 4, 25, § 78; 32, 4, 14, § 35.—As an expression of assent: pacem vult M. Lepidus: praeclare, si, etc., very good, very well, Cic. Phil. 13, 4, 8 sq.—
B. Form prae-clārĭter, excellently: rebus praeclariter gestis, Quadrig. ap. Non. 516, 12; Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 1010 P. (Enn. p. 180 Vahl.).

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinpraeclārus

Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *kl̥h₁rós Proto-Italic *klāros Latin clarus Latin praeclārus From prae- + clarus.

Descendants
  • Englishpreclare
  • Italianpreclaro
  • Spanishpreclaro

Quick answers

What does praeclārus mean in Latin?
praeclārus, a adjective, means “very clear or bright; famous; noble, excellent”.
How do you pronounce praeclārus?
In classical Latin, [prae̯ˈkɫaː.rʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [preˈklaː.rus].
Where does praeclārus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *per- → Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- → Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? → Proto-Italic *prai → Proto-Italic *prai- → Latin praeclārus.