LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neuterthird declension

tempus

tempus n (genitive temporis)
Classical[ˈtɛm.pʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈtɛm.pus]
№ 89 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. literallyneutera time (a portion or period of time)
    ad/in tempustemporarily; for a time
    tempus diurnumdaytime
  2. especiallyliterallyneuteran interval, period (the time intervening between two events)
    per īdem tempus annōrum novem, ab ūndēvīcēnsimō annō aetātis meae ūsque ad duodētrīcēnsimum, sēdūcēbāmur et sēdūcēbāmusDuring this period of nine years, from my nineteenth year to my twenty-eighth, I went astray and led others astray.397 CE – 401 CE, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis, Confessiones 4
  3. literallyneuterusuallytime
    Omnia, Lūcīlī, aliēna sunt; tempus tantum nostrum est [...].All things, Lucilius, are otherwise; time alone is ours.c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 1.1.3
  4. literallyneuterthe kairos, right time, due season, due time, proper time, appointed time, opportune time, opportunity
    in temporeat the appropriate time; in due season
    ad tempus venīreto come at the right time
  5. in pluralneuterthe temples (sides of the head)
  6. neuterpoetic(in general) the face, visage; the head
  7. neuterthe state of the times, position, state, condition; (in the plural) the times, circumstances (the time or age in its moral aspects)
    prō temporeaccording to the circumstances
    Ō tempora, ō mōrēs! Senātus haec intellegit, cōnsul videt; hic tamen vīvit. Vīvit?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
  8. neuterrhetorictime; measure, quantity
  9. neutera tense (property of a verb that indicates the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs)
  10. Medieval Latinneuterrarethe weather

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quod fluit nec redit: hōrae, diēs, annī.
tempus -oris n — in Mille Verba, Tempus et Numerī
tempus dēgere
tempus trānsmittere — in Epistulae, ch. 4
latera capitis, inter frontem et aurēs
tempora -um (n pl) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 22

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Dies · Tempus · Tempestas · Die · Interdiu

1. Dies (from ἔνδιος) denotes time in its pure abstract nature, as mere extension and progression; whereas tempus and tempestas, with a qualifying and physical reference, as the weather and different states of time; tempus denotes rather a mere point of time, an instant, an epoch; tempestas, an entire space of time, a period. Hence dies docebit refers to a long space of time, after the lapse of which information will come, like χρόνος; whereas tempus docebit refers to a particular point of time which shall bring information, like καιρός. (iv. 267.) 2. Die means by the day, in opp. to by the hour or the year; whereas interdiu and diu, by day, in opp. to noctu; but interdiu stands in any connection; diu only in direct connection with noctu. (iv. 288.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativetempustempora
genitivetemporistemporum
dativetemporītemporibus
accusativetempustempora
ablativetemporetemporibus
vocativetempustempora
locativetemporī
tempore		temporibus

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

hoc tempore
at this moment.
tempus ducere
to spend time.
temporis causa
on the spur of the moment.
puncto temporis
in an instant.
tempora matutina
the morning hours.
momento temporis
at the important moment.
ad tempus adesse
to be there at a given time.
ad exiguum tempus
for a short time.
52 more phrases
tempora Caesariana
the imperial epoch.
antiquis temporibus
in old days, in the olden time.
tempore progrediente
in process of time.
primo quoque tempore
at the first opportunity.
incidunt tempora, cum
occasions arise for...
pro tempore et pro re
according to circumstances.
tempus maximum est, ut
it is high time that...
tempori servire, cedere
to accommodate oneself to circumstances.
suavitas verni temporis
the charms of spring.
extremum tempus aetatis
the last stage of life, one's last days.
tempus habere alicui rei
to have time for a thing.
temporum ordinem servare
to observe the chronological order of events.
tempus praeterit, transit
time passes.
brevis or exigui temporis
for a short time.
servare et notare tempora
to observe the chronological order of events.
spatio temporis intermisso
after some time.
tempus conferre ad aliquid
to employ one's time in...
tempus tribuere alicui rei
to devote time to anything.
pro re (nata), pro tempore
according to circumstances.
aetate (temporibus) Periclis
in the time of Pericles.
tempus non amittere, perdere
to lose no time.
tempus (ita) fert (not secum)
circumstances demand.

tempus, ŏris (
I. abl. temp. tempori or temperi; v. infra), n. etym. dub.; perh. root tem-; Gr. τέμνω; prop. a section; hence, in partic., of time.
I. Lit., a portion or period of time, a time: tempus diei, daytime, Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 38; 1, 1, 116: extremum diei, Cic. de Or. 1, 7, 26; cf.: matutina tempora, morning hours, id. Fam. 7, 1, 1: anni tempora, the seasons, Lucr. 2, 33; 5, 1396; cf.: quam (Ennam) circa sunt laetissimi flores omni tempore anni, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 107: maturius paulo, quam tempus anni postulabat, in hiberna exercitum deduxit, Caes. B. G. 1, 54: erat hibernum tempus anni, Cic. Rep. 1, 12, 18; Auct. B. Alex. 43, 1.—
2. Esp. of the time intervening between two events, etc., an interval, period, time: longo post tempore, Verg. E. 1, 68: magno post tempore, Just. 13, 4, 25; 16, 1, 1: brevi post tempore, id. 1, 7, 19; 4, 4, 4; 12, 2, 6: parvo post tempore, Val. Max. 8, 6, 1. — Plur.: longis temporibus ante, Cic. Rep. 2, 34, 5.—
B. Transf., time, in general.
1. Lit.
a. In gen.: tempus est, id quo nunc utimur (nam ipsum quidem generaliter definire difficile est), pars quaedam aeternitatis cum alicujus annui, menstrui, diurni nocturnive spatii certā significatione, Cic. Inv. 1, 26, 39: tempus esse dicunt intervallum mundi motus: id divisum in partes aliquot, maxime ab solis et lunae cursu: itaque ab eorum tenore temperato tempus dictum, Varr. L. L. 6, § 2 Müll.: hos siderum errores id ipsum esse, quod rite dicitur tempus, Cic. Univ. 9 fin.: neque ut celari posset, tempus spatium ullum dabat, Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 14; cf.: nisi tempus et spatium datum sit, Cic. Quint. 1, 4: vix huic tantulae epistulae tempus habui, id. Att. 1, 14, 1: egeo tempore, id. Q. Fr. 3, 5, 4: unius horae tempus, Liv. 44, 9, 4: aliquot dierum tempus amisit, Lact. Mort. Pers. 45, 5: tempus duorum mensium petere ad delectus habendos, Liv. 29, 5, 7: triginta dierum tempus petens, ut, etc., id. 38, 37, 10: tempus, pacis an belli, festinationis an otii, Cic. de Or. 3, 55, 211: ut tempora postulabant belli, Liv. 24, 8, 7: nec belli tantum temporibus, sed etiam in pace, id. 35, 28, 1: temporibus Punici belli, Just. 30, 3, 1; 43, 4, 11: mihi vero omne tempus est ad meos libros vacuum, Cic. Rep. 1, 9, 14: erit, erit illud profecto tempus et illucescet ille aliquando dies, cum, etc., id. Mil. 26, 69: ex quo tempore tu me diligere coepisti, id. Fam. 3, 4, 2: eo tempore, quo promulgatum de multā ejus traditur, Liv. 6, 38, 12; 23, 10, 13: tempore, quo in homine non ut nunc omnia consentientia, id. 2, 32, 9: privatum eo tempore Quinctium fuisse, cum sacramento adacti sint, id. 3, 20, 4: per idem tempus, Cic. Brut. 83, 286: quos ad me id temporis venturos esse praedixeram, at that time, id. Cat. 1, 4, 10: scripta in aliquod tempus reponantur, Quint. 10, 4, 2: non tantulum Umquam intermittit tempus, quin, etc., Plaut. Bacch. 2, 2, 32: uno et eodem temporis puncto nati . . . nascendi tempus, Cic. Div. 2, 45, 95; cf.: alienum tempus est mihi tecum expostulandi, id. Fam. 3, 10, 6: dare tempus exponendi de aliquā re, id. ib. 1, 9, 3: committendi proelii, Caes. B. G. 2, 19: edendi, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 22: curandi, id. ib. 1, 2, 39: tyranno ad consultandum tempus datum est, Liv. 34, 33, 5: datum cum iis conloquendi tempus, id. 26, 22, 11; 45, 24, 11.—In plur.: id certis temporibus futurum, Cic. Rep. 1, 15, 23: si Athenienses quibusdam temporibus nihil nisi, etc., agebant, id. ib. 1, 27, 43: superioribus temporibus ad te nullas litteras misi, id. Fam. 5, 17, 1: illis temporibus, id. Lael. 1, 5: temporibus illis, id. Arch. 3, 6. —
b. In partic., the time, i. e. the fitting or appointed time, the right season, proper period, opportunity, = καιρός: nunc occasio est et tempus, Plaut. Ps. 4, 2, 3: tempus maximum est, ut, etc., id. Mil. 4, 3, 9: spero ego, mihi quoque Tempus tale eventurum, ut tibi gratiam referam parem, id. Merc. 5, 4, 39; cf.: tempus habes tale, quale nemo habuit umquam, Cic. Phil. 7, 9, 27: dicas: tempus maxumum esse ut eat domum, Plaut. Mil. 4, 3, 8: nunc hora, viri, nunc tempus: adeste, Sil. 11, 194: consul paulisper addubitavit, an consurgendi jam triariis tempus esset, Liv. 8, 10, 1: cum jam moriendi tempus urgueret, was close at hand, Cic. Tusc. 1, 43, 103; Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 20: verno inserentis tempus urguet, Plin. 17, 14, 24, § 113: tempus est, with inf.: sed jam tempus est, ad id quod instituimus accedere, Cic. Top. 1, 5: dicere aliquid de ordine argumentorum, id. de Or. 2, 42, 181: conari etiam majora, Liv. 6, 18, 12: nunc corpora curare tempus est, id. 21, 54, 2: tibi abire, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 215: jam tempus agi res, Verg. A. 5, 638: tempus est jam hinc abire me, Cic. Tusc. 1, 41, 99: suo tempore, at a fitting time, id. Lael. 3, 11; cf. id. Phil. 14, 6, 15; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 60, § 139; Plin. 18, 6, 8, § 44.—
(b). tempŏra, um (less freq. in the sing. tempus), after the Gr. τὰ καίρια (prop. the right place, the fatal spot), the temples of the head; plur.: duae suturae super aures tempora a superiore capitis parte discernunt, Cels. 8, 1; Plin. 20, 6, 23, § 54; Lucr. 1, 930; 4, 5; 6, 1194; Tib. 2, 2, 7; Verg. A. 5, 416; Hor. C. 1, 7, 23; 3, 25, 20; 4, 1, 32; 4, 8, 33 et saep.—Sing.: contorquet brachium et Graccho percutit tempus, Auct. Her. 4, 55, 68; Verg. A. 9, 418; Sil. 12, 414; Stat. Th. 10, 110; Vitr. 9, 6; Flor. 4, 12, 44 Duk. N. cr.; Vulg. Judic. 4, 21; 5, 26.—Poet., transf., the face, visage in gen., Prop. 2, 24 (3, 18), 3; 2, 18, 32 (3, 11, 10).—The head: jacuit pulsus tria tempora ramo Cacus, upon his three heads, Prop. 4 (5), 9, 15.— Sing.: tremulum movens Cana tempus anilitas Omnia omnibus annuit, Cat. 61, 162. —
2. Transf.
a. The time in its moral aspects; the state of the times, position, state, condition; in plur., the times, circumstances (esp. freq. of dangerous or distressful cir cumstances): si ad tuum tempus perduci tur, facilis gubernatio est, time of administration, consulship, Cic. Fam. 10, 1, 2: omne meum tempus amicorum temporibus transmittendum putavi ... et meus labor in privatorum periculis versatus, id. Imp. Pomp. 1, 1: quid a me cujusque tempus poscat, id. Planc. 32, 79: tempori meo defuerunt, my necessity, id. Sest. 58, 123; cf.: qui tot annos ita vivo, ut a nullius umquam me tempore aut commodo aut otium meum abstraxerit aut, etc., id. Arch. 6, 12: tempori cedere, id est necessitati parere, semper sapientis est habitum, id. Fam. 4, 9, 2: nisi forte temporis causā nobis adsentiebare, id. Tusc. 4, 4, 8: neque poëtae tempori meo defuerunt, id. Sest. 58, 123; cf.: suscipere onus laboris atque officii ex necessariorum tempore, id. Div. in Caecil. 2, 5: in summo et periculosissimo rei publicae tempore, id. Fl. 3, 6: tempore summo rei publicae, id. Phil. 5, 17, 46; Cic. Verr. 1, 1, 1; cf.: pecuniam conferre in rei publicae magnum aliquod tempus, id. Off. 3, 24, 93: pro tempore atque periculo exercitum conparare, Sall. C. 30, 5: o saepe mecum tempus in ultimum Deducte, to the last extremity, Hor. C. 2, 7, 1: eae (res) contra nos faciunt in hoc tempore, at the present time, under the present circumstances, Cic. Quint. 1, 1; cf.: nec miserae prodesse in tali tempore quibat, Lucr. 1, 93: indignatus, dici ea in tali tempore audirique, Liv. 30, 37, 8; v. Zumpt, Gram. § 475.—In plur.: incidunt saepe tempora, cum ea, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 10, 31: omnes illae orationes causarum ac temporum sunt, id. Clu. 50, 139: tempora rei publicae, qualia futura sint, quis scit? mihi quidem turbulenta videntur fore, id. Fam. 2, 18, 3: scripsi versibus tres libros de temporibus meis, id. ib. 1, 9, 23; cf. id. ib. § 11: dubia formidolosaque tempora, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 1, § 1: cedere temporibus, id. Mil. 1, 2: animus secundis Temporibus dubiisque rectus, Hor. C. 4, 9, 36: Madates erat regionis praefectus, haud sane temporum homo, Curt. 5, 3, 4.—
b. Time in poetry and rhetoric, i. e. measure, quantity: idem facit in trochaeo, qui temporibus et intervallis est par iambo, Cic. Or. 57, 194; cf.: tempora certa modique, Hor. S. 1, 4, 58: rhythmi spatio temporum constant, Quint. 9, 4, 46 sq.—
c. In gram., a tense of a verb, Varr. L. L. 9, § 32; 95 sq.; 10, § 47 Müll.; Quint. 1, 5, 47; 9, 1, 11; 9, 3, 11 et saep.—
II. Adverb. phrases.
A. tempŏrē, and more freq in adverb. form, tempŏrī or tempĕrī, at the right or fitting time, at the appointed time, in time, betimes, timely, seasonably: rogat, satisne tempori opera sient confecta, Cato, R. R. 2, 1; 3, 4; cf.: qui vult sua tempori conficere officia, Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 16: reddere aliquid tempori, Titin. ap. Non. 369, 22: sequimini, ut, quod imperatum est, veniam advorsum temperi, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 90; cf.: temperi huic anteveni, id. Trin. 4, 2, 66: temperi ego faxo scies, id. Ps. 1, 3, 153: ut cenam coqueret temperi, id. Stich. 5, 2, 6; id. Cas. 2, 6, 60.—In a punning allusion to the meaning temple (v. supra): Eu. Coquite, facite, festinate nunc jam, quantum lubet. Co. Temperi: postquam implevisti fusti fissorum caput, Plaut. Aul. 3, 3, 6: ego renovabo commendationem, sed tempore, Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 1: temporis ars medicina fere est: data tempore prosunt, Et data non apto tempore vina nocent, Ov. R. Am. 131 sq.: tempore abest, id. H. 4, 109.—Comp.: memini te mihi Phameae cenam narrare: temperius fiat: cetera eodem modo, Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 8: modo surgis Eoo Temperius caelo, modo serius incidis undis, more betimes, earlier, Ov. M. 4, 198: ut propter cibi spem temporius ad officinam redeant, Col. 8, 4, 3; 2, 8, 12; App.M. 9, p. 229, 22.—
B. Form tempore, in time, with the progress of time, gradually: tempore ruricolae patiens fit taurus aratri, ... Tempore paret equus habenis, Ov. Tr. 4, 6, 1 sqq. —
C. Ad tempus.
1. At the right or appointed time, in time: ad tempus redire, Cic. Att. 13, 45, 2: ad tempus venire, Liv. 38, 25: ad tempus ei mendacium vestrum accommodavistis, Cic. Cael. 7, 17.—
2. For some time, for the time being, for a while, for the moment: quae (perturbatio animi) plerumque brevis est et ad tempus, Cic. Off. 1, 8, 27: coli ad tempus, id. Lael. 15, 53: dux ad tempus lectus, Liv. 28, 42, 5; Tac. A. 1, 1; cf.: ad breve (sc. tempus), Suet. Tib. 68. —
D. Ante tempus, before the right time, too soon: ante tempus mori miserum esse, Cic. Tusc. 1, 39, 93; id. Lael. 3, 11: ante tempus domo digressus, Sall. J. 79, 7; Suet. Aug. 26; cf.: sero post tempus venis, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 90.—
E. Ex tempore, instantaneously, forthwith, on the spur of the moment, extempore: versus fundere ex tempore, Cic. de Or. 3, 50, 194: magnum numerum optimorum versuum dicere ex tempore, id. Arch. 8, 18: scribere, Quint. 10, 3, 17; Sen. Contr. 3, praef.—
2. According to circumstances: expedire rem et consilium ex tempore capere posse, Cic. Off. 2, 9, 33: haec melius ex re et ex tempore constitues, id. Fam. 12, 19, 2.—
F. In tempore, at the right, proper, or appropriate time, in time: in tempore ad eam veni, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 123: in ipso tempore eccum ipsum, in the nick of time, id. And. 3, 2, 52: ni pedites equitesque in tempore subvenissent, Liv. 33, 5, 2: in tempore memorare, Tac. A. 1, 58 fin.—
G. In tempus, for a time, temporarily: scena in tempus structa, Tac. A. 14, 20; cf.: in omne tempus, forever, Cic. Fam. 5, 15, 1.—
H. Per tempus, at the right time, in time: non potuisti magis per tempus mihi advenire quam advenis, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 30; cf.: per tempus subvenistis mihi, id. Truc. 1, 2, 85.—
K. Pro tempore, according to circumstances: consilium pro tempore et pro re capere, Caes. B. G. 5, 8: pauca pro tempore milites hortatus, Sall. J. 49, 6; Verg. E. 7, 35; Ov. Tr. 4, 2, 23.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *tempos; thence, two ultimate origins have been proposed: * From Proto-Indo-European *tempos (“stretch”), from the extension *temp- of the root *ten- (“to stretch, string”), with meaning development "what is stretched, stretching" → "stretch (of time)" → "time, occasion". * From Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- (“to cut”), thus "a section (of time)", this root also giving Latin temnō, tondeō, Ancient Greek τέμνω (témnō). templum is a possible cognate that has also been assigned to both roots. Sense 2 is a semantic loan from Ancient Greek τὰ καίρῐᾰ (tà kaírĭă, “the vital or fatal place (on the body)”), from καιρός (kairós, “time, opportunity, etc.”), and is less frequent in singular form. Compare Old English þunwange (“temple of the head”), Middle High German tinne, tinge (“forehead, temples”). As seen from the adverb temperī, the noun would originally have declined like genus.

Elsewhere
  • Catalantemplafrom Vulgar Latin *tempula
  • Italiantempiafrom Vulgar Latin *tempula
  • Frenchtempefrom Vulgar Latin *tempula
  • Englishtemplefrom Vulgar Latin *tempula
  • Spanishtemplafrom Vulgar Latin *tempula
  • Romaniantâmplăfrom Vulgar Latin *tempula
  • Italiantempora
  • Portuguesetêmpora
  • Spanishtémpora
  • Old Spanishtienllafrom Vulgar Latin *tempula
Occitano-Romance
  • Catalantempsfrom Old Catalan temps
  • Occitantèmsfrom Old Occitan tems
  • Occitantemsfrom Old Occitan tems
  • Occitantempsfrom Old Occitan tems
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesetempofrom Old Galician-Portuguese tempo
  • Spanishtiempo
  • Asturiantiempufrom Old Leonese tempo
  • Leonesetiempufrom Old Leonese tempo
  • Mirandesetiempofrom Old Leonese tempo
  • Galiciantempofrom Old Galician-Portuguese tempo
Eastern Romance
  • Romaniantimp
  • Megleno-Romaniantimp
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiantempo
  • Corsicantempu
  • Dalmatiantiamp
  • Istriottenpo
  • Judeo-Italianטִִינְפוֹ
  • Neapolitantiempo
  • Siciliantempu
  • Venetantenpo
  • Venetantempo
  • Venetantènp
Borrowings
  • Sardiniantempus
  • Finnishtempus
  • Welshtymorfrom Middle Welsh tymhor
  • Norwegian Bokmåltempus
  • Russianтемп
  • Swedishtempus
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friuliantimp
  • Ladintëmp
  • Romanshtemp
  • Romanshtaimp
  • Romanshtains
Gallo-Italic
  • Emiliantänp
  • Liguriantempo
  • Lombardtemp
  • Piedmontesetemp
Gallo-Romance
  • Franco-Provençaltemps
  • Old Frenchtemps

Quick answers

What does tempus mean in Latin?
tempus, a noun, means “a time (a portion or period of time); time; the kairos, right time, due season, due time, proper time, appointed time, opportune time, opportunity”.
What is the genitive of tempus?
The genitive singular is temporis. tempus is neuter, third declension.
How do you pronounce tempus?
In classical Latin, [ˈtɛm.pʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtɛm.pus].