world | Dictionaries | Morcus Latin Tools

• world:

I. The world considered as extent of space; the universe, earth:

1. mundus (the universe; Gr. κόσμος): the w. is as it were the common home of gods and men, or the city of both, est mundus quasi communis deorum atque hominum domus aut urbs utrorumque, Cic. N. D. 2, 62, 154: this our w. you say is not for certain round; for possibly it may be of some other shape, and countless other w.s there may be of other shapes, nec hunc ipsum mundum pro certo rotundum esse dicitis; nam posse fieri ut alia sit figura: innumerabilesque mundos alios aliarum esse formarum, ib. 18, 48: the ramparts of the mighty w., magni moenia mundi, Lucr. 2, 1145: whatever limit bounds the w., let him attain to it, quicunque mundo terminus obstitit, hunc tangat, Hor. Od. 3, 3, 53 (in poetry m. often means no more than the earth).
2. orbis, is, m. (the sphere of earth; in prose terrae or terrarum is generally added): should the w. crash in ruins upon him, si fractus illabatur orbis, Hor. Od. 3, 3, 7: no bay in the w., nullus in orbe sinus, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 83: the w. and all nations, orbis terrarum gentesque omnes, Cic. Agr. 2, 13, 33: the Campanian land, the fairest in the w., ager Campanus orbis terrae pulcherrimus, ib. 28, 76: Liber comes enriched from the eastern w. (clime), Liber eoo dives ab orbe venit, Ov. F. 3, 466.
3. terrae, ārum (all lands): all the money in the w., tanta pecunia quanta sit in terris, Cic. Agr. 2, 23, 62: where in the w.? ubi terrarum? Cic.: wherever in the w. she shall be taken I am resolved to follow, quoquo terrarum asportabitur certumst persequi, Ter. Ph. 3, 3, 18.
4. nātūra (or n. rerum, all nature, creation): Cleanthes gives the name of God to the mind and soul of the whole w., Cleanthes totius naturae menti atque animo nomen Dei tribuit, Cic. N. D. 1, 14, 37: a certain reason that pervades the whole w., ratio quaedam per omnem rerum naturam pertinens, ib. 14, 36.

II. Mankind, all men, the public, human affairs, etc.:

1. mundus (rare in this use). if you will read the records and annals of the w., tempora si fastosque velis evolvere mundi, Hor. S. 1, 3, 112.
2. hŏmĭnes, um: whatever the w. does, quicquid agunt homines, Juv. 1, 85: this is the way the w. lives, sic vita hominum est, Cic.: since the w. began, post homines natos, Cic.
3. omnes, ium: the worst poet in the w., pessimus omnium poeta, Cat.: who is there of all the w.? quis enim est omnium? Cic.: the whole w. are agreed, omnes ad unum idem sentiunt, Cic.
4. gentes, ium (all nations): where in the w. are we? ubinam gentium sumus? Cic.
5. pŏpŭlus (the public): what says the w.? quis populi sermo est? Pers. 1, 63: the w. hisses me, but I applaud myself, populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo ipse, Hor. S. 1, 1, 66.
6. vulgus, i, n.: if the question were asked after the speech was concluded, the judgment of the wise man would never differ from the judgment of the w., perorata causa si quaereretur nunquam sapientis judicium a judicio vulgi discreparet, Cic. Brut. 53, 198: which we perceive to be acceptable to the w., quod in vulgus gratum esse sentimus, id. Att. 2, 22, 3.
7. sēcŭlum (the age, men with whom we live): I know this w. and its ways, novi ego hoc seculum moribus quibus siet, Plaut.
8. res, rērum (affairs): ignorance of the w., inscitia rerum, Hor.: Ulysses, not to be sunk by the buffeting waves of the w., Ulixes adversis rerum immersabilis undis, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 22.

III. Things temporal as opposed to eternal; things not religious:

1. *mundus: Vulg., passim.
2. *sēcŭlum: loose the body's slave from the chains of the w., servientem corpori absolve vinclis seculi, Prud.: this sense of world, being Christian, finds no one classical Latin equivalent: expr. by res profanae (as opposed to sacrae), humanae; voluptates, illecebrae voluptatum; curae humanae. Phr.: a citizen of the w.: mundanus: Socrates, when asked of what city he called himself a citizen, answered, Of the w., Socrates quum rogaretur cujatem se esse diceret, Mundanum, inquit, Cic. Tusc. 5, 37, 108: since the beginning of the w., ex omnium saeculorum memoria, Cic.: a deed that will last to the w.'s end, factum in saecula iturum, Sil. 12, 312: w. without end, *in secula seculorum, Eccl.: in the w. is often a mere expletive: who in the w.? quis tandem? nothing in the w., nihil omnino, prorsus nihil: I am the very wretchedest man in the w., prorsus nihil abest quin sim miserrimus, Cic. Att. 11, 15, 3: a man of the w., homo politus, urbanus, lautus (polished): morum peritus, multum cum hominibus versatus (experienced): knowledge of the w. (as opp. to mere scholastic training), rerum, hominum, temporum notitia, Tac. Dial. 29: as the w. goes, ut sunt mores, Ter.: ut nunc est, Hor.: to bring before the w. (to make public), in medium proferre, Cic.: the w. sometimes with adjectives means a class: the literary w., homines docti, literati, eruditi: Cic.: the fashionable w., elegantiores: not quite polished enough for this critical w., minus aptus acutis naribus horum hominum, Hor. S. 1, 3, 30: to leave the w. (to die), e vita excedere: the next w., *futura vita: a w. of waters, *aquarum immensitas, a w. of wonders, *miraculorum infinita vis ac varietas.

• WORLD

The universe, mundus: universum: universitas: rerum universitas: natura rerum: res creatae: before the foundation of the world, ante mundum conditum, creatum: ante res creatas: ante initia rerum: from the beginning of the world, inde a primis rerum initiis: inde a mundo condito.
The globe and its contents, orbis terrae, or orbis only (the globe): orbis terrarum (the world, so far as it was known to the Romans): terrae (countries). To sail round the world, orbem terrae circumvehi (☞ not circumnavigare): the old world, *orbis antiquus: the new world, *orbis norus; *orbis recens cognitus; *partes orbis terrarum recentiore aetate inventae: the rulers of the world, terrarum principes (Liv.): a citizen of the world, totius mundi incola et civis (Cic., Tusc., 5, 37, 108, where κόσμιος is translated mundanus, and explained by qui totius mundi se incolam et civem arbitratur); incola mundi.
Men of the same age or generation, homines qui nunc vivunt, qui nunc sunt, reperiuntur in orbe terrarum: homines, genus hominum: the ancient world, antiquitas; antlqua tempora.
Things as they are, res quae nunc sunt: ordo rerum, qualis hodie, qualis nunc, est: quite a new world, alia aetas; novus rerum ordo (Bauer): another world (in the Roman sense), inferi: locus inferorum: orcus; (in the Christian sense), *altera vita: *mortui, mortuorum vita.
Men in general, especially men and things with which we are conversant, homines: vulgus (the greater number): such is the world, sic vivitur (Cic., Fam., 2, 15, 2); sic vita hominum est (Cic., Rosc. Am., 30, 84); sic vita fert (Cic., Att., 12, 22, 4); sic sunt homines, sic vulgus est (Ter.): the way of the world, hominum mores; saeculum: the great world, celebritas hominum; celebrior vita; sol; lux: to publish to all the world, in publico proponere aliquid: a man of the world, homo politus et urbanus: homo lautus (Cic.): morum peritus: omni vita et victu excultus atque expolitus (polished, refined): hominum tractandorum peritus (practised, not inexperienced): knowledge of the world, notitia hominum, rerum, temporum (Tac., Dial., 29): to know the world, nosse, cognitos habere homines: multum versatum esse cum hominibus: to be ignorant of the world, non nosse homines, or hominum mores: imperitum esse hominum or rerum: all the world knows it, omnes homines hoc sciunt: neminem fugit: nemo ignorat: the bravest man the world ever saw, unus post homines natos fortissimus vir (Cic.):
Men of a certain class; e.g., the litterary world, homines docti, litterati, eruditi (Cic.); better than civitas litteraria (Wolf); civitas litterata, erudita: respublica litteraria. (☞ Avoid orbis terrarum eruditus (Wyttenback). [Vid: “REPUBLIC of Letters. “] The fashionable world, homines cultiores, elegantiores.
Things temporal (opposed to things eternal), res humanae: res vanae, fluxae, caducae: (with reference to earthly pleasures) voluptates: illecebrae voluptatum (Cic.): love of the world, rerum humanarum, etc., amor, studium, admiratio: contempt of the world, despicientia rerum: to live to the world, to love the world, deditum esse, servire voluptatibus: captum esse rebus vanis, studiis pravis: the wicked world, homines impii, mali, perditi.
Great number, vis: vis magna.
In the world (as an expletive), tandem (e.g., how in the world? quonam tandem modo? or by circumlocution; e.g., I am the most unhappy man in the world, prorsus nihil abest, quin sim miserrimus, Cic., Att., 11, 15, 3).

Appearance

Reading text

Issues / Feedback

Dictionary settings