adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
pūblicus1
pūblicus (feminine pūblica, neuter pūblicum)
Classical[ˈpuː.blɪ.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpuː.bli.kus]
№ 517 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- adjectiveof or belonging to the people, state, or community
Illī rēbus dīvīnīs intersunt, sacrificia pūblica ac prīvāta prōcūrant, religiōnēs interpretantur[…]
The former are engaged in things sacred, conduct the public and the private sacrifices, and interpret all matters of religion.58–49 BCE, Gaius Julius Caesar, chapter 13, in Commentarii de Bello Gallico [Commentaries on the Gallic War], volume VI: - adjectivepublic, general
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
quī omnium est; rēs pūblica.pūblicus -a -um — in Mille Verba, Urbs et Aedificia
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | pūblicus poplicus | pūblica poplica | pūblicum poplicum |
| genitive | pūblicī poplicī | pūblicae poplicae | pūblicī poplicī |
| dative | pūblicō poplicō | pūblicae poplicae | pūblicō poplicō |
| accusative | pūblicum poplicum | pūblicam poplicam | pūblicum poplicum |
| ablative | pūblicō poplicō | pūblicā poplicā | pūblicō poplicō |
| vocative | pūblice poplice | pūblica poplica | pūblicum poplicum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | pūblicī poplicī | pūblicae poplicae | pūblica poplica |
| genitive | pūblicōrum poplicōrum | pūblicārum poplicārum | pūblicōrum poplicōrum |
| dative | pūblicīs poplicīs | pūblicīs poplicīs | pūblicīs poplicīs |
| accusative | pūblicōs poplicōs | pūblicās poplicās | pūblica poplica |
| ablative | pūblicīs poplicīs | pūblicīs poplicīs | pūblicīs poplicīs |
| vocative | pūblicī poplicī | pūblicae poplicae | pūblica poplica |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- in publico
- in the streets.
- ager publicus
- public land; state domain.
- libera re publica
- in the time of the Republic.
- optima re publica
- at the time of a most satisfactory government.
- forma rei publicae
- the constitution.
- rem publicam vexare
- to damage the state.
- locare opera publica
- to let out public works to contract.
- rei publicae praeesse
- to have the management of the state.
52 more phrases
- a re publica recedere
- to retire from public life.
- a re publica deficere
- to betray the interests of the state.
- rem publicam perturbare
- to throw the state into confusion.
- rem publicam constituere
- to give the state a constitution.
- rem publicam labefactare
- to shake the stability of the state.
- auctores consilii publici
- statesmen.
- plus in re publica videre
- to possess great political insight.
- clavum rei publicae tenere
- to hold the reins of government.
- nullam habere rem publicam
- to have no constitution, be in anarchy.
- idem de re publica sentire
- to have the same political opinions.
- contra rem publicam facere
- to be guilty of high treason.
- legem proponere in publicum
- to bring a law before the notice of the people.
- ex rei publicae dissensione
- owing to political dissension.
- contra rem publicam sentire
- to foster revolutionary projects.
- publico carere, se abstinere
- to never appear in public.
- rem publicam quaestui habere
- to enrich oneself at the expense of the state.
- studio ad rem publicam ferri
- to throw oneself heart and soul into politics.
- rem publicam tueri, stabilire
- to defend, strengthen the state.
- res publica stat (opp. iacet)
- the state is secure.
- causa publica (Brut. 48. 178)
- a criminal case.
- saluti rei publicae non deesse
- to further the common weal.
- homo in re publica exercitatus
- an experienced politician.
pūblĭcus (in inscrr. also POBLICVS and POPLICVS), a, um, adj. contr. from populicus, from populus,
I. of or belonging to the people, State, or community; that is done for the sake or at the expense of the State; public, common.
I. Lit.: multi suam rem bene gessere et publicam patriā procul, the business of the State, Enn. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 6, 1 (Trag. v. 295 Vahl.):
publica magnificentia (opp. privata luxuria), Cic. Mur. 36, 76: sacrificia publica ac privata, Caes. B. G. 6, 12: injuriae, done to the State, id. ib. 1, 12: litterae testimonium, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 31, § 74: memoria publica recensionis tabulis publicis impressa, id. Mil. 27, 73: pecunia, id. Agr. 2, 30, 82: publicum funus, at the public expense, Plin. Ep. 2, 1 init.: defunctum senatus publico funere honoravit, Suet. Vit. 3: causa, an affair of State, Liv. 2, 56; also, a criminal process, Cic. Rosc. Am. 21, 59: in causis judiciisque publicis, id. Div. in Caecil. 1, 1: largitiones, Sall. C. 37, 7: res publica, the commonwealth, the State; v. publicus ludus, Hor. C. 4, 2, 42: in publica commoda peccare, id. Ep. 2, 1, 3: incisa notis marmora publicis, id. C. 4, 8, 13.—B. Subst.
1. pūblĭcūs, i, m.
a. A public officer, public functionary, magistrate:
si quis aut privatus aut publicus, etc., Caes. B. G. 6, 12: metuit publicos, the police, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 6.—b. A public slave or servant, an attendant upon a college of augurs, etc., Inscr. Orell. 24, 68 sq.; 2470; 2853 al.—
2. publĭcum, i, n.
a. Possessions of the State, public territory, communal property:
publicum Campanum, Cic. Agr. 2, 30, 82.—b. The public purse, the public coffers or treasury, public income, revenue, etc.: solitus non modo in publico (in public, openly; v. under II. b.), sed etiam de publico convivari, at public cost, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 44, § 105:
bona alicujus vendere et in publicum redigere, into the public treasury, for public use, Liv. 4, 15 fin.: in publicum emere, id. 39, 44; 26, 27: mille et ducenta talenta praedae in publicum retulit, Nep. Timoth. 1, 2: publicis male redemptis, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 11, § 33: conducere publica, to farm the public revenues, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 77: habere publicum, to be a farmer of the public revenues, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 41: frui publico, Cic. Prov. Cons. 5, 12; Dig. 39, 4, 1, § 1: publicum quadragesimae in Asiā egit, Suet. Vesp. 1: publicum agitare, Sen. Ep. 119, 5: pessimo publico facere, to the injury of the State, Liv. 2, 1, 1.—(b). Transf.: qui hoc salutationum publicum exercet, who receives pay (like a porter) for admitting to an audience, Sen. Const. 14, 4. —
c. The archives of the State, public records:
ut scriptum in publico in litteris exstat, Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 10.—d. The commonwealth, State, community, city:
consulere in publicum, to deliberate for the public weal, Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 21.—II. Transf., common, general, public (as adj. rare, and mostly poet.):
publica lex hominum, Pers. 5, 98: juvenum Publica cura, Hor. C. 2, 8, 7: usus, id. Ep. 2, 1, 92: favor, the favor of all, Ov. P. 4, 14, 56: lux publica mundi, the sun, id. M. 2, 35: verba, common, usual, id. Am. 3, 7, 12; id. A. A. 1, 144; Sen. Ep. 3, 1; 59, 1: moneta, current, Vulg. Gen. 23, 16.— Hence, 2. Substt. *
b. pu-blicum, i, n., a public place, publicity (freq. and class.):
NEVE IN POPLICOD NEVE IN PREIVATOD, S. C. de Bacchan.: IN. POPLICO, Tab. Bantin. lin. 3: in publico esse non audet, includit se domi, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 92: summa in publico copia, id. Tusc. 5, 35, 102: epistulam in publico proponere, publicly, id. Att. 8, 9, 2: prodire in publicum, to go out in public, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 31, § 80: egredi, Tac. H. 4, 49: carere publico, not to go out in public, to remain at home, Cic. Mil. 7, 18: abstinere publico, Tac. A. 3, 3; Suet. Claud. 36: lectica per publicum vehi, id. Ner. 9: oratio, quam nuper in publicum dedi, published, Plin. Ep. 8, 3, 2.—B. General, in a bad sense, i. e. common, ordinary, bad (very rare):
structura carminis, Ov. P. 4, 13, 4: vatem, cui non sit publica vena, Juv. 7, 53: sermo non publici saporis, Petr. 3.—Hence, adv.: pu-blĭcē (poplice). A. On account, at the cost, in behalf, or in charge of the State:
haud scio mali quid ortum ex hoc sit publice, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 89: AES. ARGENTVM. AVRVMVE. PVPLICE. SIGNANTO, to provide with the public stamp, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6: VT BONA EIVS POPLICE POSSIDEANTVR FACITO, for the State, in charge of the State, Tab. Bantin. lin. 9: sunt illustriora, quae publice fiunt, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21: disciplina puerilis publice exposita, on the part of the State, by the State, id. ib. 4, 3, 3: publice interfici, by order of the State, id. Brut. 62, 224: legationis princeps publice dixit, in the name of the State, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 44, § 105: publice maximam putant esse laudem, quam latissime a suis finibus vacare agros, in a national point of view, Caes. B. G. 4, 3: frumentum, quod Aedui essent publice polliciti, for the State, in the name of the State, id. ib. 1, 16: gratiam atque amicitiam publice privatimque petere, on behalf of the public, and as individuals, id. ib. 5, 55 fin.; id. B. C. 2, 16: ea privatim et publice rapere, Sall. C. 11, 6: potius publice quam privatim amicitiam populi Ron ani colere, id. J. 8, 2; id. C. 49, 3: Minucius eandem publice curationem agens, quam Maelius privatim agendam susceperat, Liv. 4, 13: neque publice neque privatim, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 16: ut filiae ejus publice alerentur, at the public expense, Nep. Arist. 3, 3: in urbe, celeberrimo loco elatus publice, id. Dion, 10, 3; cf. Liv. 5, 55; Plin. 33, 1, 4, § 11.—B. Generally, all together, universally:
exulatum publice ire, Liv. 5, 53 fin.; Dig. 39, 2, 24: Labeo consulentibus de jure publice responsitavit, all without exception, Gell. 13, 10, 1.—C. Before the people, openly, publicly, = palam (only post-class.):
publice disserere, Gell. 17, 21, 1: virtutem Claudii publice praedicare, Treb. Pol. Claud. 17: rumor publice crebuerat, App. M. 10, p. 247, 16; id. Mag. p. 276, 35; id. M. 2, p. 118, 10.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
pūblicus adj.
populus, of the people, of the state, done for the state, public, common : rem bene gerere publicam, the business of the state , Enn. ap. C.: sacrificia publica ac privata, Cs.: iniuriae, to the state , Cs.: litterae testimonium: causa, an affair of state , L.: causam publicam dicere, i. e. a criminal prosecution : in causis iudiciisque publicis: largitiones, S.: ludus, H.: incisa notis marmora publicis, H.—In the phrase, res publica (often written res <*>.: less correctly as one word, respublica), a commonwealth, state, republic : ne quid detrimenti res p. caperet, S.: res R. publica: tria genera rerum p.: delere rem p.: senatūs consultis e re p. factis, for the public good : faceret quod e re p. fideque suā duceret, L.: aetatem a re p. procul habendam decrevi, from public life , S.: res p. suas retinere.—As subst n., possessions of the state, public property, state treasury, public revenue : qui (agri) in publicum Campanum incurrebant, the public lands : nihil neque privati neque publici in Siciliā reliquisse: de publico nummos accipere: de publico convivari, at public cost : bona in publicum redigere, into the public treasury , L.: frumenti quod inventum est, in publicum conferunt, the public granaries , Cs.: publicis male redemptis: conducere publica, farm the public revenues , H.: publicorum societates, i. e. of farmers of the revenue : magister scripturae et sex publicorum, i. e. branches of the revenue : frui publico: pessimo publico facere, to the injury of the state , L.— Common, general, public : aqua publica in privatum agrum fluens, L.: usus, H.: favor, the favor of all , O.: lux publica mundi, the sun , O.: verba, common, usual , O.—As subst n., a public place, publicity : pernoctare in publico: relatis in publicum Cornibus, Cs.: summa in publico copia: epistulam in publico proponere, publicly : prodire in publicum, go out in public : carere publico, be in retirement.—General, common, ordinary, vulgar : structura carminis, O.: vatem, cui non sit publica vena, Iu.
Origins
From Old Latin poplicus, from Old Latin poplus, which became Latin populus (“the people”), ultimately from Proto-Italic *poplos (“army”), of unknown origin. The change from -ŏp- to -ūb- is traditionally explained as paronymic attraction to pūbēs (“adult population; puberty; genitals”). An alternative explanation is that it is a regular sound change, divisible into two steps: voicing of -p-, then breaking of -o- to -ou- (subsequently monophthongized to -ū-).
Inherited
- Italianplubico
- Italianplobico
- Italianpiobico
- Italianpiuvico
- Sardinianprúbbicu
- Sardinianpúbblicu
- Sardinianpúbbricu
- Sardinianplúbicu
- Sardinianfrúbbicu
- Friulianplóvi
Borrowed
- Catalanpúblic
- Englishpublic
- Frenchpublic
- Italianpublico
- Italianpubblico
- Portuguesepúblico
- Romanianpublic
- Spanishpúblico
- Dutchpubliek
- Galicianpúblico