dēfīnĭo

dēfīnītio, ōnis, f. (definio), I) die Abgrenzung, Corp. inscr. Lat. 6, 826, 2. – II) übtr. = die Bestimmung, bestimmte Angabe, hominum et temporum definitione sublatā (ohne best. A. der usw.), Cic. de div. 2, 110. – Insbes.: a) ( als t. t. der Logik u. Rhetor.) die nähere Erörterung od. Erläuterung des Begriffs, die Begriffsbestimmung, Definition, Cornif. rhet., Cic. u.a.: im Plur., verborum omnium definitiones, Cic. de or. 2, 83. – als rhet. Fig. = ὁρισμός, Carm. de fig. 97. p. 67 H. – b) die Bestimmung = Vorschrift, illa definitio iudiciorum aequorum, quae etc., Cic. Cluent. 5.

dēfīnītīvus, a, um (definio), I) begriffsbestimmend, näher erläuternd, constitutio (Begründung), Cic.: causa, Cic.: sententia, der entscheidende Ausspruch, die Schlußsentenz, Cod. Iust. u. Eccl. – II) bestimmt, Tert. adv. Herm. 38.

dēfīnītor, ōris, m. (definio), a) der Bestimmer, Verordner, Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 10. – b) der Begriffsbestimmer, Augustin. c. Acad. 1, 15 in.

dēfīnītus, a, um, PAdi. (definio), abgegrenzt, bestimmt, speziell (Ggstz. infinitus u. generalis; oft mit certus verb.), certum esse in caelo ac definitum locum, Cic.: prima duo capita epistulae tuae nihil habent quod definitum sit aut certum, Cic.: quaestionum duo sunt genera, alterum infinitum, alterum definitum, Cic.: de re et generales quaestiones sunt et definitae, Quint.

dif-fīnio, īre, Variante von definio, w. s.

in-dēfīnībilis, e (in u. definio), = ἀτέλεστος, Gloss. IV, 423, 41.

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certain, so Irish, Old Irish cinnim, definio, écintech, infinitus; from ceann, head, q.v.

circum-scrībo, psi, ptum, 3, v. a.

Prop., to draw a line around, to circumscribe, enclose in a circle (in good prose;

very freq. in Cic.): orbem,

Cic. Fin. 5, 8, 23:

lineas extremas umbrae,

Quint. 10, 2, 7:

virgulā stantem,

Cic. Phil. 8, 8, 23:

virgā regem,

Liv. 45, 12, 5:

aeneā fibulā pars auriculae latissima circumscribitur,

Col. 6, 5, 4:

terram surculo heliotropii,

Plin. 22, 21, 29, § 60.—

Trop.

To draw a line as the circumference of a thing (cf. Quint. 12, 10, 5), i. e. to define, encompass, enclose, lim it, bound, circumscribe (syn.: definio, describo, termino):

nullis ut terminis (orator) circumscribat aut definiat jus suum,

Cic. de Or. 1, 16, 70; cf.:

genus universum brevi circumscribi et definiri potest,

id. Sest. 45, 97:

exiguum nobis vitae curriculum natura circumscripsit, immensum gloriae,

id. Rab. Perd. 10, 30:

quibus regionibus vitae spatium circumscriptum est,

id. Arch. 11, 29:

ante enim circumscribitur mente sententia confestimque verba concurrunt,

id. Or. 59, 200:

locum habitandi alicui,

id. Par. 2, 18:

Oceanus undique circumscribit omnes terras et ambit,

Gell. 12, 13, 20:

uti mihi dicas et quasi circumscribas verbis, quid homo sit,

id. 4, 1, 12.—

To bring within narrow bounds, i. e. to contract, hem in, circumscribe, to hinder free action, to restrain, confine, limit, etc. (syn.: claudo, includo, coërceo).

Esp., of the restrictions or hinderances imposed by one magistracy or authority upon another:

Senatus credo praetorem eum circumscripsisset,

Cic. Mil. 33, 88 (cf. just before:

an consules in praetore coërcendo fortes fuissent),

id. Att. 7, 9, 2; id. Phil. 13, 9, 19; Caes. B. C. 1, 32; Auct. ap. Quint. 9, 3, 72:

ille se fluvio Rubicone et CC. milibus circumscriptum esse patiatur?

Cic. Phil. 6, 3, 5:

gulam et ventrem,

Sen. Ep. 108, 14:

circumscribere corpus et animo locum laxare,

id. ib. 15, 2:

laudes,

id. Cons. ad Helv. 19, 7.—

In gen.:

uno genere genus hoc aratorum,

to comprehend in one class, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 61, § 149 Zumpt:

totum Dionysium sex epitomis circumscripsit,

abridged, Col. 1, 1, 10:

ut luxuriam vilitate circumscribamus,

Plin. 22, 2, 3, § 4.—

In later medic. lang. circumscribi = minui, to abate, subside:

gravedo circumscribitur,

Cael. Aur. Tard. 5, 10; so id. Acut. 2, 10 fin. —

To encircle or go around by writing = scribendo circumdare, i. e. to deceive, cheat, circumvent, entrap, insnare (syn.:

circumvenio, decipio): fallacibus et captiosis interrogationibus circumscripti atque decepti,

Cic. Ac. 2, 15, 46; Plin. 7, 40, 41, § 131; 33, 3, 14, § 48: non circumscribetur, qui ita se gesserit, ut dicat, etc., will not be deceived, i. e. will commit no error, Sen. Q. N. 5, 1, 3; id. Ep. 82, 19.—

In mercantile lang., to deprive of money, to overreach, defraud:

adulescentulos,

Cic. Phil. 14, 3, 7; Juv. 10, 222; 14, 237:

ab Roscio HS. I[C ][C ]. circumscriptus,

Cic. Rosc. Com. 8, 24:

vectigalia,

to embezzle, Quint. Decl. 340.—

In law, to defeat the purpose of a law, a will, etc., by a forced or too literal interpretation:

legem,

Dig. 4, 3, 18 fin.:

ita circumscripto testamento,

Plin. Ep. 8, 18, 4; Front. Aquaed. 112: constitutiones, Lact. de Ira Dei, 8.—

Of circumlocution, to involve in language:

oratio rem simplicem circumscribens elocutione,

Auct. Her. 4, 32, 43; cf.:

facetis jocis sacrilegium circumscribens,

covering, Just. 39, 2, 5.—

To cancel; to declare invalid, to annul, invalidate, void, set aside (cf. circumduco, II. D.):

hoc omni tempore Sullano ex accusatione circumscripto,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 16, § 43 (sublato, circumducto, praetermisso, Ascon.):

circumscriptis igitur iis seutentiis, quas posui, etc.,

id. Fin. 3, 9, 31.—Hence, circumscriptus, a, um, P. a.

(Acc. to II. A.) In rhet., rounded into periods, periodic:

circumscripti verborum ambitus,

Cic. Or. 12, 38; cf. Auct. Her. 4, 32, 43; Quint. 12, 10, 5, and v. circumscriptio.— Adv.: circum-scriptē, in periods:

circumscripte numeroseque dicere,

Cic. Or. 66, 221: circumscripte complecti singulas res. id. N. D. 2, 59, 147.—

(Acc. to II. B.) Restricted, limited:

brevis et circumscripta quaedam explicatio,

Cic. de Or. 1, 42, 189:

(vis orationis) pressior et circumscriptior et adductior,

Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 4.— Adv.: circum-scriptē, summarily:

circumscripte et breviter ostendere,

Lact. 5, 14, 8; 5, 9, 20. — Sup. of the adj., and comp. and sup. of the adv. not in use.

dē-cerno, crēvi, crētum, 3 (the syncop. forms decreram, etc., decrerim, etc., decresse are freq. in Cicero and Liv., also Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 25; Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 73; 2, 1, 15, but not in Caes., where is only decreverat, B. G. 4, 17; 5, 5 fin.; 5, 53, 2), v. a. and n.

(acc. to cerno, no. II. 3.) To decide, determine any thing disputed or doubtful. For syn. cf.: scisco, jubeo, statuo, constituo, dico, sancio, consilium capio, destino, obstino, definio, determino.

Prop., of a judge, magistrate, etc., to pronounce a decision respecting something; to decide, judge, determine, decree; to vote for any thing (very freq. and class.).—Const. with acc., with acc. et inf., a relat. clause, with de, or absol.:

alias (Verres praetor) revocabat eos, inter quos jam decreverat decretumque mutabat, alias, etc.,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 46:

si quod est admissum facinus, si caedes facta, idem (Druides) decernunt,

Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 5:

consules de consilii sententia decreverunt secundum Buthrotios,

Cic. Att. 16, 16, C, § 11: decernere vindicias secundum servitutem, in favor of slavery, i. e. restore the slave to his master, Liv. 3, 47, 5; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 5, 4:

cum senatus triumphum Africano decerneret,

id. Fin. 4, 9, 22; cf.

of a single senator: non decrevi solum, sed etiam ut vos decerneretis laboravi,

id. Prov. Cons. 11, 28;

so supplicationem decernere,

id. Fam. 15, 4, 11;

so also: Crassus tres legatos decernit,

id. ib. 1, 1, 3:

D. Junius silanus supplicium sumendum decreverat,

Sall. C. 50, 4:

quando id bellum senatus decrevisset, quando id bellum populus R. jussisset?

Liv. 41, 7; 42, 36; id. 5, 36; id. 26, 2:

id quod senatus me auctore decrevit,

Cic. Phil. 6, 1, 1; Caes. B. C. 1, 2, 2:

qui ordo decrevit invitus,

on compulsion, Cic. Phil. 1, 6, 13:

Ligures ambobus consulibus decernuntur,

id. Liv. 42, 10; cf.:

provinciam desponsam non decretam habere,

Cic. Prov. Cons. 15 (v. the whole passage in connection):

provinciae privatis decernuntur,

Caes. B. C. 1, 6, 4 et saep.:

ex annuo sumptu, qui mihi decretus esset,

Cic. Att. 7, 1, 6 et saep.:

mea virtute atque diligentia perditorum hominum patefactam esse conjurationem decrevistis,

id. Cat. 4, 3: cum pontifices decressent ita;

SI, etc.,

id. Att. 4, 2, 3:

senatus decrevit populusque jussit, ut, etc.,

id. Verr. 2, 2, 67: in jure dicundo, ita decrevit, ut, etc., Suet. Galb. 7; cf.

of individuals: Hortensii et mea et Luculli sententia... tibi decernit, ut regem reducas, etc.,

Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 3.— Impers.:

in parricidas rei publicae decretum esse,

Sall. Cat. 51, 25.—Esp. of the emperor, to determine the law by deciding a case:

quodcumque imperator cognoscens decrevit, legem esse constat,

Dig. 1, 4, 1, § 1; Just. Inst. 1, 2, 6.

Transf., beyond the judicial sphere, to decide, determine, judge: qui nequeas nostrorum uter sit Amphitruo decernere, Plaut. fragm. ap. Non. 285, 26:

rem dubiam decrevit vox opportune emissa,

Liv. 5, 55; cf.:

primus clamor atque impetus rem decrevit,

id. 25, 41; Plin. 17, 27, 46, § 258:

de his Catonis praecepta decernent,

id. 17, 22, 35, § 190:

duo talenta pro re nostra ego esse decrevi satis,

Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 67; id. Hec. 4, 1, 27:

quam decrerim me non posse diutius habere,

id. ib. 1, 2, 73:

in quo omnia mea posita esse decrevi,

Cic. Fam. 2, 6, 3; id. Att. 3, 15, 7:

illum decrerunt dignum, suos cui liberos committerent,

Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 15:

in ejus controversiis quid decernas, non a te peto,

Cic. Fam. 13, 59: aliquem decernere hostem, to proclaim one an enemy by a formal decree, id. Phil. 11, 7, 16.— Absol.:

nequeo satis decernere,

Ter. Ad. 4, 2, 5.

Milit., to decide by combat; hence (like cernere and certare), in gen., to fight, combat, contend:

castra castris conferamus, et Samnis Romanusne imperio Italiam regant, decernamus,

Liv. 8, 23, 9; id. 1, 23, 9:

in ipso illo gladiatorio vitae certamine, quod ferro decernitur,

Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317:

proelium,

id. Fam. 10, 10:

pugnam,

Liv. 28, 14; cf. id. ib. 33: de bello decernere, Auct. B. Hisp. 5 fin. Oud. N. cr.:

ne armis decernatur,

Cic. Att. 7, 3, 5; cf.:

ferro ancipiti decernunt,

Verg. A. 7, 525:

and armis, ferro,

id. ib. 11, 218; 12, 282; 695 (cf. et cernere ferro, id. ib. 709):

cursibus et crudo caestu,

id. G. 3, 20:

cornibus inter se,

id. ib. 218:

lapidibus et subselliorum fragminibus,

Suet. Ner. 26 et saep.:

contra magnam vim hostium, artificio magis quam viribus, Auct. B. Afr. 14: acie,

Liv. 2, 14; Nep. Milt. 4, 4:

proelio cum proditore,

Just. 13, 8, 4:

classe decreturi,

Nep. Hann. 10, 4:

integriore exercitu,

id. Eum. 9 fin.—Absol.:

decernendi potestatem Pompeio fecit,

Caes. B. C. 3, 41; cf. Liv. 21, 41.

Transf., beyond the milit. sphere:

decernite criminibus, mox ferro decreturi,

Liv. 40, 8 fin. —So of a judicial contest:

uno judicio de fortunis omnibus decernit,

Cic. Quint. 2, 6; cf. Quint. 10, 1, 29;

and qui judicio decernent,

id. 12, 7, 5:

de salute reipublicae,

Cic. Att. 8, 5, 2:

pro mea omni fama fortunisque,

id. de Or. 2, 49:

utinam meo solum capite decernerem,

id. Att. 10, 9; Caes. B. C. 1, 35, 3.

With reference to one's own acts, to decide, determine on doing something; to determine, resolve on something (freq. in all periods and styles).—Constr., with inf. and with acc. and inf.:

si tu fluctus e gurgite tollere decreris, Lucil. ap. Rufin. § 26 (p. 238 ed. Frotsch.): quicquid peperisset decreverunt tollere,

Ter. Andr. 1, 3, 14:

Caesar his de causis Rhenum transire decreverat,

Caes. B. G. 4, 17 et saep.:

eos me decretum est persequi mores patris,

Plaut. Asin. 1, 1, 58; id. Stich. 1, 3, 65; Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 56; cf.:

certum atque decretum est non dare signum,

Liv. 2, 45:

reliquam aetatem a republica procul habendam decrevi,

Sall. C. 4. With ut and subjunct.:

hic decernit ut miser sit,

Cic. Tusc. 3, 27, 65.—With accus.:

quicquam decernere,

id. ib. —Hence, dē-crētum, i, n.

(Acc. to no. I. A.) A decree, decision, ordinance of any political or judicial body (for syn. cf.:

scitum, edictum, consilium, jus): senatus Caelium ab rep. removendum censuit. Hoc decreto eum consul senatu prohibuit,

Caes. B. C. 3, 21, 3:

si qui eorum (sc. Druidum) decreto non stetit, sacrificiis interdicunt,

id. B. G. 6, 13, 5; cf. id. ib. §

10: vestra responsa atque decreta evertuntur saepe dicendo,

Cic. Mur. 13 fin.; id. Verr. 2, 2, 48:

decurionum,

id. Rosc. Am. 9, 25 et saep.:

Caesaris,

Vulg. Act. 17, 7.—Esp. leg. t. t., a decision of the emperor as judge, a precedent (cf. rescriptum), Gai. 1, 5; Just. Inst. 2, 15, 4.—

Transf., in philos. lang. as a translation of the Gr. dogma, principle, doctrine, precept, Cic. Ac. 2, 9, 27; id. ib. § 29; cf. Sen. Ep. 94, 2 sq. and 95, 9 sq. (quis philoso, phorum) decretis suis paret? Lact. 3, 15, 3.