Cato

American  

[key-toh] / ˈkeɪ toʊ /

noun

1. Marcus Porcius the Elderorthe Censor, 234–149 b.c., Roman statesman, soldier, and writer.

2. his great-grandson Marcus Porcius the Younger, 95–46 b.c., Roman statesman, soldier, and Stoic philosopher.

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Cato British  

/ ˈkeɪtəʊ /

noun

1. Marcus Porcius (ˈmɑːkəsˈpɔːʃɪəs), known as Cato the Elder or the Censor. 234–149 _bc , Roman statesman and writer, noted for his relentless opposition to Carthage

2. his great-grandson, Marcus Porcius, known as Cato the Younger or Uticensis. 95–46 _bc , Roman statesman, general, and Stoic philosopher; opponent of Catiline and Caesar

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Cato Cultural  

1. A politician of ancient Rome, known for his insistence that Carthage was Rome's permanent enemy. He had a custom of ending all his speeches in the Roman senate with the words “Carthage must be destroyed.”

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Example Sentences

“The best thing you can say about them is that they weren’t as harmful people thought they would be,” said Scott Lincicome, the vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Typically, Medicare costs increase at a higher rate than Social Security benefits, which shrinks the value of beneficiaries’ checks, said Michael Cannon, director of health-policy studies at the Cato Institute.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Recent reporting by the Cato Institute found that just 5% of ICE detainees have been convicted of violent offenses, and three-fourths have no criminal convictions at all.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Whole Foods founder John Mackey in an interview for the Winter issue of Cato Institute’s Free Society magazine:

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Cato coughed once more and looked down at the ground.

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper