LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefourth declension

senātus1

senātus m (genitive senātūs)
Classical[sɛˈnaː.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[seˈnaː.tus]
№ 329 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. alternative letter-case form of Senātus (“the Roman Senate”)
    O tempora, o mores! Senatus haec intellegit, consul videt; hic tamen vivit. Vivit?Shame on the age and on its principles! The senate is aware of these things; the consul sees them; and yet this man lives. Lives!63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.2
    SENATVS POPVLVSQVE·ROMANVSThe Senate and the People of Romec. 82 CE, Arch of Titus
  2. senate, a council of elders, parliament, or similar deliberative body

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

cōnsilium senātōrum; senātus Rōmānus dēcernit.
senātus -ūs m — in Mille Verba, Urbs et Aedificia
concilium patrum, quī urbem regunt
senātus -ūs (m) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 24

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesenātussenātūs
genitivesenātūssenātuum
dativesenātuīsenātibus
accusativesenātumsenātūs
ablativesenātūsenātibus
vocativesenātussenātūs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

senatu movere
to expel from the senate.
senatum habere
to hold a sitting of the senate.
e senatu eicere
to expel from the senate.
dimittere senatum
to dismiss the senate.
senatus auctoritas
the opinion of the senate in general.
nox senatum dirimit
night breaks up the sitting.
senatum vocare, convocare
to call a meeting of the senate.
in senatum legere, eligere
to elect to the senate.
11 more phrases
senatum cogere (Liv. 3. 39)
to assemble the senate.
a senatu res ad populum reicitur
a matter is referred (for decision) from the senate to the people.
senatus consultum fit (Att. 2. 24. 3)
a resolution of the senate (not opposed by a tribunicial veto) was made.
senatum alicui dare (Q. Fr. 2. 11. 2)
to give a man audience before the senate.
ad senatum referre (Cic. Dom. 53. 136)
to bring a question before the senate (of the presiding magistrate).
senatus decrevit (populusque iussit) ut
the senate decreed (and the people ratified the decree) that...
a senatu amicus appellatus est (B. G. 1. 3)
he received from the senate the title of friend.
senatus sententia inclīnat ad... (De Sen. 6. 16)
the senate inclines to the opinion, decides for...
edicere, ut senatus frequens adsit (Fam. 11. 6. 2)
to issue a proclamation calling on the senators to assemble in full force.
triumphum senatus Africano decernit (Fin. 4. 9. 22)
the senate decrees to Africanus the honours of a triumph.
patres (senatum) consulere de aliqua re (Sall. Iug. 28)
to consult the senators on a matter.

sĕnātus, ūs (
I. gen. senati, Plaut. Cas. 3, 2, 6; id. Ep. 2, 2, 5; Sisenn. ap. Non. 484, 18; Cic. Div. in Caecil. 5, 19; also cited ap. Charis. p. 116 P.; Sall. C. 30, 3; 36, 5; 53, 1. acc. to Non. 484, 15; Charis. p. 10 P.; Don. Ter. Hec. 3, 2, 21; Prisc. p. 712 P.; id. Fragm. ap. Don. Ter. And. 2, 2, 28; also Cic. Fam. 2, 7, 4, acc. to the pr. man. of the Cod. Medic.; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 27.—Another form of the gen. senatuis, C. Fann. ap. Charis. p. 116 P.; Sisenn. ap. Non. 484, 19; also, as it seems, Varr. ib. 484, 19, yet the passage itself is wanting.—In old orthog. SENATVOS, S. C. de Bacch.; dat. senato, Quint. 1, 6, 27), m. senex; like γερουσία from γέρων; cf. Cic. Rep. 2, 28, 51; id. Sen. 6, 19, the council of the elders, the Senate, the supreme council in Rome, concerning whose origin, constitution, powers, etc., v. senator; cf. Momms. Hist. of Rome, 1, 113 sqq.; 1, 406 sqq. Am. ed.; Becker, Antiq. 2, 1, p. 339 sq.; 2, 2, p. 385 sq.; 2, 3, p. 210 sq.; and the authors there cited: quae (consilium, ratio, sententia) nisi essent in senibus, non summum consilium majores nostri appellassent senatum. Apud Lacedaemonios quidem ii, qui amplissimum magistratum gerunt, ut sunt sic etiam nominantur senes, Cic. Sen. 6, 19: Romuli senatus, qui constabat ex optimatibus, id. Rep. 2, 12, 23: (Majores nostri) senatum rei publicae custodem collo caverunt, id. Sest. 65, 137: senatus rem pu blicam tenuit, ut pleraque senatūs auctori tate gererentur, id. Rep. 2, 32, 56: ut potentia senatus atque auctoritas minueretur, id. ib. 2, 34, 59: cum potestas in populo, auctoritas in senatu sit, id. Leg. 3, 12, 28: nec per senatum solvi hac lege possumus, id. Rep. 3, 22, 33.—Freq. in the phrase: senatus populusque Romanus (often written S. P. Q. R.), the Senate and people of Rome, i.e. the State, the republic, Cic. Planc. 37, 90; id. Phil. 6, 2, 4; very rarely in reverse order: populus et senatus Romanus, Sall. J. 41, 2: populi Romani senatusque verbis, Liv. 7, 31, 10; 24, 37, 7; Vitr. praef. 1, 1: senatus (senati, senatuis, v. supra) consultum, a decree of the Senate (v. consulo, P. a. III.); senatūs auctoritas, the same (v. auctoritas, 4.): censuit senatus, the Senate resolved; v. censeo, 3. b. (cf. also decerno, I. A., and decretum, s. v. decerno fin.): senatum convocare, Cic. Sull. 23, 65; id. Cat. 2, 6, 12: senatus est continuo convocatus frequensque convenit, id. Fam. 10, 12, 3; cf.: senatus frequens vocatu Drusi in curiam venit, id. de Or. 3, 1, 2: vocare senatum, Liv. 3, 38: cito cogere, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 3; Suet. Caes. 16; id. Tib. 23: habere senatum, Cic. Fam. 1, 4, 1; id. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 3; Suet. Aug. 29: agere, id. Caes. 88; id. Aug. 35: eo die non fuit senatus neque postero, no session of the Senate, Cic. Fam. 12, 25, a, 1: eodem die Tyriis (legatis) est senatus datus frequens, i. e. gave audience, id. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 2 sq.; so, dare senatum (legatis), Sall. J. 13, 9; Nep. Hann. 7, 6; Liv. 41, 6 et saep.: senatu dimisso, Cic. Lael. 3, 12: dimittere senatum, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 65, § 146: mittere, id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: multa ejus (Catonis) et in senatu et in foro vel provisa prudenter vel acta constanter ferebantur, in the meetings of the Senate, id. Lael. 2, 6; cf.: (Catilina) etiam in senatum venit, id. Cat. 1, 1, 2: ad senatum adduci, in senatu poni, id. Fragm. ap. Quint. 9, 3, 50: ad senatum in Capitolio stare, Cic. Ac. 2, 45, 137: in senatu sedere, to sit among the senators, on the senatorial seats (in the theatre), Suet. Claud. 25 fin.; cf.: in orchestram senatumque descendit, id. Ner. 12: in senatum venire, to become a senator, Cic. Fl. 18, 42: de senatu cooptando, nominating, electing, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 49, § 122; Liv. 23, 3: de senatu movere, Cic. Clu. 43, 122: senatu movere, Sall. C. 23, 1 Dietsch; and: senatu emovere, Liv. 45, 15, 8: ex or de senatu eicere, Cic. Sen. 12, 42; id. Clu. 42, 119; 48, 135; Liv. 40, 51; 41, 27; 43, 15 al. (v. 1. lego and eicio): seminarium senatus, i. e. the order of Knights, from which new senators were elected, Liv. 42, 61, 5.—Also of the Senate of other nations: senatus (Gaditanus), Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 2: Aeduorum, Caes. B. G. 1, 31, 6: Venetorum, id. ib. 3, 16 fin. et saep.: Judaeorum, Vulg. 2 Macc. 11, 27.—
II. Trop., a council, i. e. consultation (mostly ante-class.): de re argentariā senatum convocare in corde consiliarium, Plaut. Ep. 1, 2, 56: sibi senatum consili in cor convocare, id. Most. 3, 1, 158; 5, 1, 8; id. Mil. 2, 6, 111: deūm, Mart. Cap. 6, § 582.

Origins

From senex (“old”, stem sen-) + -ātus (group/rank of officials), literally “group of the elders”.

Descendants
  • Catalansenat
  • Frenchsénatfrom Old French senat
  • Englishsenatefrom Old French senat
  • GermanSenat
  • Italiansenato
  • Portuguesesenado
  • Romaniansenat
  • Spanishsenado
  • Armenianսենատ
  • Basquesenatu

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesSenatusSenatus The senate or council of elders (seniores: comp. the Greek γερουσία) ranked with the kingship, and the assembly of burgesses among the oldest …
noun · masculinefourth declension
Senātus2
Senātus m sg (genitive Senātūs)
Classical[sɛˈnaː.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[seˈnaː.tus]
№ 329 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. the Roman Senate
    O tempora, o mores! Senatus haec intellegit, consul videt; hic tamen vivit. Vivit?Shame on the age and on its principles! The Senate is aware of these things; the consul sees them; and yet this man lives. Lives!63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.2
    SENATVS POPVLVSQVE·ROMANVSThe Senate and the People of Romec. 82 CE, Arch of Titus

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeSenātus—
genitiveSenātūssenātuum
dativeSenātuīsenātibus
accusativeSenātum—
ablativeSenātūsenātibus
vocativeSenātus—

Origins

From senatus, from senex (“old, old man”) + -ātus (“-ate: forming abstract nouns”), a council of elders.

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesSenatusSenatus The senate or council of elders (seniores: comp. the Greek γερουσία) ranked with the kingship, and the assembly of burgesses among the oldest …

Quick answers

What does senātus mean in Latin?
senātus, a noun, means “alternative letter-case form of Senātus (“the Roman Senate”); senate, a council of elders, parliament, or similar deliberative body”.
What is the genitive of senātus?
The genitive singular is senātūs. senātus is masculine, fourth declension.
How do you pronounce senātus?
In classical Latin, [sɛˈnaː.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [seˈnaː.tus].