civitas
Americannoun
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the body of citizens who constitute a state, especially a city-state, commonwealth, or the like.
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citizenship, especially as imparting shared responsibility, a common purpose, and sense of community.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of civitas
From Latin cīvitās; literally, “commmunity of citizens, citizenship,” equivalent to cīvis “citizen, fellow citizen” + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To gain civitas at birth, a person needed to be the child of two citizens.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
In addition to maintaining their frontier with an army, Romans carried on a perpetual debate about citizenship, or civitas, and whether to extend its benefits to different groups.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
Harvey, a self-educated college dropout, talks a lot about William James, agora, public squares and preaching civitas.
From Time Magazine Archive
Bell's book is the year's most promising start on the long road back to civitas.
From Time Magazine Archive
It is found, I may add, in a few French words derived from the Latin, as oncle from avunculus, and cit� from civitas.
From Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 91, July 26, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
