civitas

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

/ ˈsɪv ɪˌtæs; Latin ˈki wɪˌtɑs /

the body of citizens who constitute a state, especially a city-state, commonwealth, or the like.

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

Nearby words

< Latin cīvitās. See city

One answer resides in the belief, still ingrained in our civitas, that Americans have a shared sense of purpose and destiny.
The Fallout from WikiLeaks' Latest Exposure|Tunku Varadarajan|November 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Unless they were peasants and dwelt in villages, they were citizens of a "city" or "civitas," the old Latin name for a tribe.
The Story of Mankind|Hendrik van Loon
This brought an outcry against the admission of any professional working woman into the exclusive Civitas.
Making People Happy|Thompson Buchanan
The city (civitas) did not end with the town walls, but included the surrounding country and perhaps many villages.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume I of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor

Pliny (92 or 93) says, Amisenorum civitas libera et fderata beneficio indulgenti tu legibus suis utitur.
The Chief Periods of European History|Edward A. Freeman
The Civitas Club was in full operation, and would brook no restraint.
Making People Happy|Thompson Buchanan