denarius
Americannoun
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denarii
plural
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a silver coin and monetary unit of ancient Rome, first issued in the latter part of the 3rd century b.c., that fluctuated in value and sometimes appeared as a bronze coin.
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a gold coin of ancient Rome equal to 25 silver denarii; aureus.
noun
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a silver coin of ancient Rome, often called a penny in translation
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a gold coin worth 25 silver denarii
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of denarius
First recorded in 1565–85; from Latin dēnārius, originally an adjective: “containing ten (asses)”; see origin at denary
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.
See Examples For:
"I found two Roman brooches, then a Julius Caesar silver denarius dating from 46-47BC," he said.
From BBC ● May 21, 2022
After 20 years digging up denarius coins on Time Team, he surely knows more than most about the Roman occupation of England.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 24, 2015
When Caesar Augustus minted the denarius coin, around 15 A.D., he did so with a decree that it be made almost entirely of silver.
From New York Times ● Apr. 30, 2015
In Augustus’s time, a silver coin called a denarius was in use throughout the empire.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2012
But the consuls were too demoralized to take away a denarius.
From A Friend of Caesar A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C. by William Stearns Davis
Most of the coins are silver denarii, minted in Rome and dating from the time of the Roman Republic in 157 BC up to Nero's reign between AD 54–68.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2024
The denarii, believed to have been placed in the ground in about AD 69 to 70, were found in Gobowen, Shropshire.
From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2022
"In terms of spending value, a Roman legionary soldier was paid 300 denarii a year - so these coins represent no more than two to three days' legionary pay."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2019
But under the emperor Nero, starting in 64 A.D., the proportion of silver was reduced to 80 percent and the state made a tidy profit by recycling the all-silver denarii into debased ones.
From New York Times ● May 14, 2018
“You’ve paid for the VIP treatment. Won’t you please let me finish the tour? The three denarii entrance fee is nonrefundable, you know.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
