LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

subtīlis

subtīlis (neuter subtīle, comparative subtīlior, superlative subtīlissimus, adverb subtīliter)
Classical[sʊpˈtiː.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[subˈtiː.lis]

Meaning

  1. two terminationfine, thin, slender
  2. two terminationprecise, accurate, keen
  3. two terminationplain, unadorned, simple

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativesubtīlissubtīlissubtīle
genitivesubtīlissubtīlissubtīlis
dativesubtīlīsubtīlīsubtīlī
accusativesubtīlemsubtīlemsubtīle
ablativesubtīlīsubtīlīsubtīlī
vocativesubtīlissubtīlissubtīle
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativesubtīlēssubtīlēssubtīlia
genitivesubtīliumsubtīliumsubtīlium
dativesubtīlibussubtīlibussubtīlibus
accusativesubtīlīs
subtīlēs		subtīlīs
subtīlēs		subtīlia
ablativesubtīlibussubtīlibussubtīlibus
vocativesubtīlēssubtīlēssubtīlia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

subtiliter disputare
to thoroughly discuss.
acute, subtiliter concludere
to draw a subtle inference.
verborum tenuitias, oratio subtilis
the plain style.
doctrina exquisita, subtilis, elegans
sound knowledge; scholarship.
iudicium subtile, elegans, exquisitum, intellegens
good taste; delicate perception.

subtīlis, e, adj. sub-tela; and therefore, prop., woven fine; hence,
I. fine, not thick or coarse, thin, slender, minute (syn. tenuis).
I. Lit. (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; not in Cic.): quae vulgo volitant subtili praedita filo, Lucr. 4, 88: ventus subtili corpore tenuis, id. 4, 901; cf. id. 3, 195; Cat. 54, 3: acies gladii, Sen. Ep. 76, 14: farina, Plin. 18, 7, 14, § 74: mitra, Cat. 64, 63: ignis, Lucr. 6, 225: subtilia et minuta primordia rerum, id. 4, 122; 4, 114.— Subst.: subtīlĭa, ĭum, n. plur., fine goods or stuffs, Vulg. Isa. 19, 9: indui te subtilibus, id. Ezech. 16, 10.—Comp.: harundo, Plin. 16, 36, 66, § 168: semen raporum, id. 18, 13, 34, § 129.—Sup.: sucus subtilissimus, Plin. 11, 5, 4, § 11.—
B. Transf., of the senses, fine, nice, acute, delicate, exqui site (rare): palatum, Hor. S. 2, 8, 38: subtilior gula, Col. 8, 16, 4.—
II. Trop., fine, nice, precise, exact, accurate, keen, subtle (class.; syn.: elegans, concinnus).
A. In gen.: sollers subtilisque descriptio, Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 121: definitio, id. de Or. 1, 23, 109: observatio, Plin. 18, 13, 35, § 132: sententia, id. 18, 17, 46, § 165: argumentatio, id. 2, 108, 112, § 247: quaestio, id. 11, 16, 16, § 46: Graecia, Manil. 4, 718.—Comp.: reliquae (epistulae) subtiliores erunt, more particular, Cic. Att. 5, 14, 3.—Sup.: quae (curatio manus) inter subtilissimas haberi potest, Cels. 7, 7, 13: inventum, Plin. 31, 3, 23, § 40: Democritus, subtilissimus antiquorum, Sen. Q. N. 7, 3, 2.—
2. Transf., of taste or judgment, fine, keen, delicate, exquisite (syn.: sagax, acutus): judicium, Cic. Fam. 15, 6, 1; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 242; cf.: subtilis veterum judex, id. S. 2, 7, 101: sapiens subtilisque lector, Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 7: vir subtilis, dispositus, acer, disertus, id. ib. 2, 11, 17; 4, 17, 4.—
B. In partic., in rhet., of speech or of the speaker, plain, simple, unadorned (syn. simplex): genus dicendi, Cic. Or. 21, 69; cf.: acutissimum et subtilissimum dicendi genus, id. de Or. 2, 23, 98: oratio, id. Or. 5, 20; cf. id. ib. 23, 78: Stoicorum non ignoras, quam sit subtile vel spinosum potius dicendi genus, id. Fin. 3, 1, 3: subtile quod ἰσχνὸν vocant, Quint. 12, 10, 58: disputator, Cic. Off. 1, 1, 3: quis illo (Catone) in docendo edisserendoque subtilior? id. Brut. 17, 65: oratione limatus atque subtilis, id. de Or. 1, 39, 180; cf. id. de Or. 3, 8, 31: Lysias subtilis scriptor atque elegans, id. Brut. 9, 35; Quint. 10, 1, 78: praeceptor, id. 1, 4, 25; 12, 10, 51.—Hence, adv.: subtīlĭter, finely, minutely.
1. Lit.: subtiliter insinuatus ad parvas partes aër, Lucr. 6, 1031: conexae res, closely, intimately, id. 3, 739: dividere aliquid, Plin. 5, 12, 13, § 67: fodere, lightly, superficially, Pall. Febr. 21 fin.—
2. Trop., finely, acutely, minutely, accurately, subtly.
a. In gen.: subtiliter judicare, finely, acutely, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 57, § 127: de re publicā quid ego tibi subtiliter? tota periit, minutely, particularly, id. Att. 2, 21, 1; cf.: haec ad te scribam alias subtilius, id. ib. 1, 13, 4: subtiliter exsequi numerum, Liv. 3, 5: de aliquā re subtiliter disserere, Cic. Fl. 17, 41: aliquid persequi, id. de Or. 1, 21, 98; cf.: id persequar subtilius, id. Rep. 2, 23, 42: subtilius haec disserunt, id. Lael. 5, 18: subtilius ista quaerunt, id. ib. 2, 7 et saep. —
b. In partic., in rhet., plainly, simply, without ornament: humilia subtiliter et magna graviter et mediocria temperate dicere, Cic. Or. 29, 100: versute et subtiliter dicere, id. ib. 7, 22: privatas causas agere subtilius: capitis aut famae ornatius, id. Fam. 9, 21, 1: magnifice an subtiliter dicere, Quint. 8, 3, 40.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*upó
  2. Proto-Italic*supo
  3. Latinsubtīlis

Latin sub- Proto-Italic *tekslā Latin tēla Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂der.? Proto-Italic *-is Latin -is Latin subtīlis From sub- (“under, below, beneath, underneath, behind”) + tēla (“a web”) + -is.

Descendants
  • Catalansotil
  • Catalansubtil
  • Englishsubtlefrom Old French sotil
  • Englishsubtilfrom Old French sotil
  • Englishsubtilefrom Old French sotil
  • Englishsubtillfrom Old French sotil
  • Englishsuttlefrom Old French sotil
  • Frenchsubtilfrom Old French sotil
  • Frenchsubtilefrom Old French sotil
  • Germansubtil

Quick answers

What does subtīlis mean in Latin?
subtīlis, a adjective, means “fine, thin, slender; precise, accurate, keen; plain, unadorned, simple”.
How do you pronounce subtīlis?
In classical Latin, [sʊpˈtiː.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [subˈtiː.lis].
Where does subtīlis come from?
Proto-Indo-European *upó → Proto-Italic *supo → Latin subtīlis.