LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefourth declension

vīctus

vīctus m (genitive vīctūs)
Classical[ˈwiːk.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈvik.tus]

Meaning

  1. living, way of life, lifestyle
    Ego autem nōbilium vītā vīctūque mūtātō mōrēs mūtārī cīvitātum putō.But I consider that the way of life of cities can be changed by changing the life and living of the noble.c. 30 BCE, Cicero, Dē Lēgibus 3.14.32
  2. nourishment, provision, diet, that which sustains life
    Agrīcultūrae nōn student, maiorque pars eōrum vīctūs in lacte, cāseō, carne cōnsistit.They don't care about agriculture, and a greater part of their diet consists of milk, cheese and meat.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 6.22
    Maxima pars undā rapitur; quibus unda pepercit,The greatest part is taken away by water; long fasting overcome with poor nourishment those whom the waves spared.8 CE, Ovidius, Metamorphoses 1.311–312
  3. Late Latinnecessaries of life
    Verbō vīctus continentur, quae ēsuī pōtuīque cultuīque corporis quaeque ad vīvendum hominī necessāria sunt. Vestem quoque vīctūs habēre vicem Labeō ait. Et cētera, quibus tuendī cūrandīve corporis nostrī grātiā ūtimur, eā appellātiōne sīgnificantur.And the other things which we use for keeping and caring for our bodies are meant by that term.CE 530 – CE 533, Justinian I, Dīgesta seu Pandectae 50.16.43–44

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevīctusvīctūs
genitivevīctūsvīctuum
dativevīctuīvīctibus
accusativevīctumvīctūs
ablativevīctūvīctibus
vocativevīctusvīctūs

victus, a, um, Part. of vinco.
victus, ūs (ante-class. collat. form of the
I. gen. sing. victuis, Varr. ap. Non. p. 494, 11: victi, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 75; also cited ap. Non. p. 484, 10), m. vivo.
I. That upon which one lives; sustenance, nourishment, provisions, victuals: tenuis victus cultusque, Cic. Lael. 23, 86: tenuissimus, id. Fin. 2, 28, 90; id. Quint. 15, 49; id. Tusc. 5, 34, 99; id. Off. 1, 4, 12; Caes. B. G. 6, 22; 6, 23 fin.; Hor. S. 1, 1, 98; 2, 2, 53; dat. victu, Lucil. ap. Gell. 4, 16, 6; Verg. G. 4, 158.— Plur., Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 142; Cic. Fin. 5, 4, 10; Ov. M. 15, 104 al.—
B. In jurid. lang., necessaries of life, inclusive of clothing, Dig. 50, 16, 43; 50, 16, 44.—
II. A way of life, mode of living, with reference to the necessities of life (class.; cf. vita): in victu considerare oportet, apud quos et quo more et cujus arbitratu sit educatus, etc., Cic. Inv. 1, 25, 35: consuetudo victūs, manner of living or subsisting, Caes. B. G. 1, 31: quali igitur victu sapiens utetur? Hor. S. 2, 2, 63.—Esp., with vita: Gaius Tuditanus, omni vitā atque victu excultus atque expolitus, Cic. Brut. 25, 95: ego autem nobilium vitā victuque mutato mores mutari civitatem puto, id. Leg. 3, 14, 32: splendidus non minus in vitā quam victu, Nep. Alcib. 1, 3.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*gʷih₃wós
  3. Proto-Indo-European*gʷíh₃weti
  4. Proto-Italic*gʷīwō
  5. Latinvīctus

Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin vīctus From vīvō + -tus (forming action nouns).

Descendants
  • Romanianvipt
  • Italianvitto
  • Spanishvicto
  • Aromanianyiptu
  • Aromanianviptu
  • Aromanianghiptu
  • Aromanianyipt
  • Polishwikt

Quick answers

What does vīctus mean in Latin?
vīctus, a noun, means “living, way of life, lifestyle; nourishment, provision, diet, that which sustains life; necessaries of life”.
What is the genitive of vīctus?
The genitive singular is vīctūs. vīctus is masculine, fourth declension.
How do you pronounce vīctus?
In classical Latin, [ˈwiːk.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈvik.tus].
Where does vīctus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- → Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós → Proto-Indo-European *gʷíh₃weti → Proto-Italic *gʷīwō → Latin vīctus.