duumvir
Americannoun
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duumvirs,
plural
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duumviri
plural
noun
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Roman history one of two coequal magistrates or officers
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either of two men who exercise a joint authority
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of duumvir
1590–1600; < Latin, back formation from duumvirōrum, genitive plural of duovirī two men, equivalent to duo- duo- + virī, plural of vir man, cognate with Old English wer ( see werewolf)
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:
The crowns I won--and on the walls of the villa by Misenum there are many of them--all came to me as the son of Arrius, the duumvir.
From Ben-Hur; a tale of the Christ by Wallace, Lewis
The central temple is believed to be that of Piety, built by M. Acilius Glabrio, the duumvir, in B.C.
From Walks in Rome by Hare, Augustus J. C.
Another conclusion which might be of importance was beginning to formulate itself in the shrewd mind of the emissary; between Messala and the son of the duumvir there was a connection of some kind.
From Ben-Hur; a tale of the Christ by Wallace, Lewis
In such a case the presiding duumvir was to nominate the required number, they in turn an equal number, and the combined nominees had to designate a third set equal in number to themselves.
From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel
A duumvir of the place had a daughter whom he had turned out of his house for receiving baptism, and who had taken refuge at Vacca.
From Callista : a Tale of the Third Century by Newman, John Henry
At the summit of the town is a beautiful little Doric tetrastyle temple, belonging probably to the 1st century B.C., built of limestone with an inscription recording its erection by the duumviri.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 4 "Coquelin" to "Costume" by Various
They were first appointed in 367 B.C. instead of the patrician duumviri who had hitherto performed these duties.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 10 "David, St" to "Demidov" by Various
Several inscriptions use this name, as also the bronze coins which bear the heads of Augustus and Tiberius, and were struck at first in the name of the suffetes, afterwards in that of duumviri.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various
They were governed upon the model of the Republic: had two consuls called duumviri; a senate called decuriones or collegium decurionum, and other magistrates similar to those of the Republic.
From Life of Adam Smith by Rae, John
We find also the names of local duumvirs.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various
Trotzky, one of the Russian duumvirs, is said to have a record which might of itself have justified his change of name from Braunstein.
From The Inside Story of the Peace Conference by Dillon, Emile Joseph
The jailer and the duumvirs, however, ascertaining that the prisoners were Roman citizens and hence exempt from corporal punishment, released them, and hurried them out of the city.
From Beacon Lights of History, Volume 02 Jewish Heroes and Prophets by Lord, John
There are some who state that he was condemned by duumvirs appointed to inquire concerning cases of treason.
From The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livius, Titus
But there was a right of appeal to the Curia from judicial decisions of the duumvirs in certain cases.
From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel
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.
