LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

ūniversus

ūniversus (feminine ūniversa, neuter ūniversum, adverb ūniversē)
Classical[uː.nɪˈwɛr.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[u.niˈvɛr.sus]
ūniversum sg. nom. n.; sg. acc. m.; sg. acc. n.; sg. voc. n.

Meaning

  1. adjectivewhole, entire, taken collectively or altogether
  2. adjectiveuniversal or universally

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Quisque · Quivis · Quilibet · Unusquisque · Omnes · Universi · Cuncti · Totus

1. Quisque, quivis, and quilibet, denote a totality, which is cut up into several individualities; whereas omnes, universi, and cuncti, denote a combined totality. 2. Quisque means each individual; quivis, any individual you choose, without exception, and with emphasis; quilibet, any individual whatever, without selection, and with indifference, like ὁστισοῦν, synonymously with primus quisque, ὁ τυχών. Propert. ii. 6, 26. Templa pudicitiæ quid opus statuisse puellis, si cuivis nuptæ cuilibet esse licet? apud Lachmann. Cic. Fam. viii. 10. Quidvis quamlibet tenue munusculum. 3. Quisque is an enclitic, that is, throws back the accent on the preceding word, and in prose never stands at the beginning of a sentence, like ἕκαστος; whereas unusquisque is accented and emphatic, like εἷς ἕκαστος. 4. Unusquisque denotes each individual, in opp. to some individuals; whereas singuli, individuals, in opp. to the undivided totality, like ἕκαστοι. 5. Omnes (ἅπαντες) denotes all without exception, merely as a totality, in opp. to nemo, unus, aliquot. Cic. Sext. 12, 27. Off. iii. 6, like πάντες; whereas universi, all taken collectively, in opp. to singuli and unusquisque. Cic. N. D. ii. 17. 65, 66. Off. iii. 6, like σύμπαντες; lastly, cuncti (ξυνεκτοί) all in their combined reality, in opp. to dispersi, like ἅπαντες. Liv. vii. 35. Admonitione paventibus cunctis quum omnium in se vertisset oculos Decius. Nep. Dat. 5. Qui illum unum pluris quam se omnes fieri videbant. Quo facto cuncti ad eum opprimendum consenserunt. 6. Totus, solidus, and integer denote that which is originally a whole, but which is liable to fall to pieces by accident, like ὅλος; whereas omnis, universus, and cunctus, denote original individualities, which form a whole by their association, like πᾶς, σύμπας, ἅπας. (iv. 352.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeūniversusūniversaūniversum
genitiveūniversīūniversaeūniversī
dativeūniversōūniversaeūniversō
accusativeūniversumūniversamūniversum
ablativeūniversōūniversāūniversō
vocativeūniverseūniversaūniversum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeūniversīūniversaeūniversa
genitiveūniversōrumūniversārumūniversōrum
dativeūniversīsūniversīsūniversīs
accusativeūniversōsūniversāsūniversa
ablativeūniversīsūniversīsūniversīs
vocativeūniversīūniversaeūniversa

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

genus universum in species certas partiri et dividere (Or. 33. 117)
to analyse a general division into its specific parts.

ūnĭversus, a, um (poet. contr., unvorsum, Lucr. 4, 262; plur. OINVORSEI, S. C. Bacch.), adj. unus-verto, turned into one, combined into one whole,
I. all together, all taken collectively, whole, entire, collective, general, universal (opp. singuli).
(a). Sing.: universa provincia, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 69, § 168: terra, id. Rep. 1, 17, 26: familia, id. Caecin. 20, 58: mare, id. Fin. 2, 34, 112; 4, 2, 3: universum mundum complecti, id. N. D. 1, 43, 120: Gallia, Hirt. B. G. 8, 39, 2: triduum, three days together, Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 18: vita, Cic. Rosc. Com. 15, 44: odium tantum ac tam universum, id. Pis. 27, 65: confusa atque universa defensio, id. Sest. 2, 5: universa et propria oratoris vis, id. de Or. 1, 15, 64: de universā philosophiā, id. Tusc. 3, 3, 6: bellum, Liv. 7, 11, 1: dimicatio, a general engagement, id. 22, 32, 2; so, pugna, id. 27, 12, 9.—Strengthened by totus: lupus Gregem universum voluit totum avortere, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 134.—
(b). Plur.: de universis generibus rerum dicere, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 71: ex iis rebus universis eloquentia constat, quibus in singulis elaborare permagnum est, id. ib. 1, 5, 19: ut eadem sit utilitas uniuscujusque et universorum, id. Off. 3, 6, 26: quae (virtus) etiam populos universos tueri soleat, id. Lael. 14, 50: in illum universi tela coniciunt, Caes. B. G. 5, 44; 4, 26; 7, 17: qui (Democritus) ita sit ausus ordiri: haec loquor de universis. Nihil excipit, de quo non profiteatur: quid enim esse potest extra universa? Cic. Ac. 2, 23, 73.—Strengthened by omnes: id genus hominum omnibus Universis est adversum, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 40: talibus dictis universi omnes assensere, App. M. 7, p. 189. —
II. Substt.
A. ūnĭversi, ōrum, m., the whole body of citizens, all men together: cum crudelitate unius oppressi essent universi, Cic. Rep. 3, 31, 43: et earum urbium separatim ab universis singulos diligunt (di), id. N. D. 2, 66, 165: si universi videre optimum et in eo consentire possent, nihil opus esset pluribus, id. Rep. 1, 34, 52; Suet. Galb. 10.—
B. ūnĭversum, i, n., the whole world, the universe: tum censet imagines divinitate praeditas inesse in universitate rerum: tum principia mentis, quae sunt in eodem universo, deos esse dicit, Cic. N. D. 1, 43, 120: genitor universi, Col. 3, 10, 10.—
2. Adverb.: in universum, as a whole, in general, generally (not in Cic. or Cæs.): non nominatim, sed in universum, Liv. 9, 26, 8: terra etsi aliquando specie differt, in universum tamen aut silvis horrida aut paludibus foeda, Tac. G. 5; so id. ib. 6; Plin. 6, 17, 19, § 50.—Hence, adv.: ūnĭversē, in general, generally (cf.: omnmo, generatim, communiter): singillatim potius quam generatim atque universe loqui, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 55, § 143: cetera universe mandavi: illud proprie, ne pateretur prorogari nobis provincias, id. Att. 5, 2, 1; App. Dogm. Plat. 3, p. 268.

Origins

From ūnus (“one”) + versus (“turned”), hence literally "turned into one".

Elsewhere
  • Catalanunivers
  • Italianuniverso
  • Frenchuniversfrom Old French univers
  • Romanianuniversfrom Old French univers
  • Englishuniversefrom Old French univers
  • GermanUniversum
  • Idouniversofrom Old French univers
  • Scotsuniversfrom Old French univers
  • Sicilianuniversu
  • Danishunivers
West Iberian
  • Portugueseuniverso
  • Spanishuniverso

In English words that came into English from ūniversus

  • universeuniversum
  • universalūniversālis

Quick answers

What does ūniversus mean in Latin?
ūniversus, a adjective, means “whole, entire, taken collectively or altogether; universal or universally”.
How do you pronounce ūniversus?
In classical Latin, [uː.nɪˈwɛr.sʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [u.niˈvɛr.sus].