civitas

[ siv-i-tas; Latin kee-wi-tahs ]

noun,plural civ·i·ta·tes [siv-i-tey-teez; Latin kee-wi-tah-teys]. /ˌsɪv ɪˈteɪ tiz; Latin ˌki wɪˈtɑ teɪs/.
  1. the body of citizens who constitute a state, especially a city-state, commonwealth, or the like.

  2. citizenship, especially as imparting shared responsibility, a common purpose, and sense of community.

Origin of civitas

1
From Latin cīvitās; literally, “commmunity of citizens, citizenship,” equivalent to cīvis “citizen, fellow citizen” + -tās -ty2

Words Nearby civitas

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

How to use civitas in a sentence