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definitus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word definitus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin dēfīniō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin definio
English define
Latin definitus
English definite

Forms

dēfīnītus (feminine dēfīnīta, neuter dēfīnītum); first/second-declension adjective[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin dēfīniō (“to bound, fix, define”), its perfect participle used as an adjective.[1][2][3] That verb is a compound of dē- and fīniō (“to bound, limit”), from fīnis (“boundary”).[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in Cicero,[6][7] who speaks of certum in caelo ac definitum locum, “a fixed and definite place in heaven”.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

In Cicero it means limited and clearly marked off: a law that is certa quaedam et definita,[1][3] or a letter whose first two heads contain nothing definite or certain.[2] In rhetoric and logic it was the term for questions about particular persons and times, as opposed to general ones (infinitae), in Cicero and Quintilian.[1][2][3]

Medieval Latin used it for what is fixed or settled, and the neuter definitum for a decision, definition or decree.[8] Köbler's medieval example is in the formulary of Marculf.[6] English took it over as definite about 1500.[5]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for “definite” and for particular questions in rhetoric.[1][7][6]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian distinguishes general and particular (definitae) questions.[1][2][6]
  • 720–730 – Marculf's formulary uses it.[6]
  • c. 1500 – Borrowed into English as definite.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Having limits, finite, limited; kept within its proper limits.[1]
  2. Clearly defined, precise, definite.[1][7][3]
  3. (rhetoric, logic) Concerned with the particular, as opposed to the general.[1][2][3]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Established, fixed, immutable.[8]

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin, neuter definitum) A decision, definition, decree.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Definitus.” Etymologically, 23 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/definitus. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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