Brutus

[ broo-tuhs ]

noun
  1. Marcus Jun·ius [joon-yuhs], /ˈdʒun yəs/, 85?–42 b.c., Roman provincial administrator: one of the assassins of Julius Caesar.

Words Nearby Brutus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Brutus in a sentence

  • The confusion in this direction is well illustrated by the name of the famous Marcus Junius Brutus.

    The Private Life of the Romans | Harold Whetstone Johnston
  • There were mothers then, as well as in the times of the Gracchi; there were wives as noble as the wife of Marcus Brutus.

    The Private Life of the Romans | Harold Whetstone Johnston
  • A gleam from the lantern showed it; the key-hole was old-fashioned as also described, and in a moment Brutus had it open.

  • In short, in less than half an hour he returned with our old acquaintances, Brutus and mephistopheles.

British Dictionary definitions for Brutus

Brutus

/ (ˈbruːtəs) /


noun
  1. Lucius Junius (ˈluːʃəs ˈdʒuːnɪəs). late 6th century bc, Roman statesman who ousted the tyrant Tarquin (509) and helped found the Roman republic

  2. Marcus Junius (ˈmɑːkəs ˈdʒuːnɪəs) ?85–42 bc, Roman statesman who, with Cassius, led the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar (44): committed suicide after being defeated by Antony and Octavian (Augustus) at Philippi (42)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Brutus (1 of 2)

Brutus

A character in the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare; one of the assassins of Julius Caesar. (SeeBrutus is an honorable man,” “Et tu, Brute?andFriends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”)

Brutus

An ancient Roman politician who helped assassinate his friend Julius Caesar.

Notes for Brutus

Brutus is a leading character in the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare.

Notes for Brutus

Caesar is said to have addressed Brutus with the words Et tu, Brute? (“Even you, Brutus?”) as Brutus stabbed him. This sentence has become a proverbial response to betrayal.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.