Lewis & Short

lībertus, a, um, adj. [= liberatus, from libero], made free, set free, only as subst., one made free, a freedman, an emancipated person (so called in reference to the manumitter; cf. libertinus, II., and on the several classes of freedmen, v. Sanders ad Just. Inst. 1, 5, 3).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. līber-tus, i, m.: tibi servire mavelim Multo, quam alii libertus esse, Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 47: nec mihi quidem libertus ullus est, id. Curc. 4, 3, 15: feci, e servo ut esses libertus mihi, Ter. And. 1, 1, 10: libertus Cossinii, Cic. Fam. 13, 23: Ciceronis libertus Tiro, Quint. 10, 7, 31: Claudii Caesaris libertus, id. 6, 3, 81: servos nostros libertos suos fecisset, Cic. Mil. 33, 90; Suet. Claud. 27; Cic. Fam. 13, 21, 2; id. Sest. 35, 76: patrono in libertum manus injectio sit, Quint. 7, 7, 9; cf. id. 11, 1, 66.
    2. B. In fem.: lī-berta, ae (dat. and abl. libertis, Tac. A. 12, 53; Plin. Ep. 10, 4, 2), a freedwoman: jam libertā auctus es? Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 15: tua, id. ib. 4, 8, 7: mea, id. Ep. 3, 4, 29: matris meae liberta, Suet. Claud. 40: Anto niae liberta, id. Vesp. 3: si neque ipsa patrona neque liberta capite deminuta sit, Gai. Inst. 3, § 51: libertis libertabusque meis, Dig. 50, 16, 105; so esp. freq. in inscriptions: LIBERTIS LIBERTABVSQVE POSTERISQVE EORVM, etc., Inscr. Orell. 3006; 3026 sq.
  2. II. Transf., in gen., a freedman, without reference to the manumitter; for the usual libertinus (only in late Lat.): de libertis et eorum liberis, Cod. Just. 6, 7 (for which: de libertinis, Just. Inst. 1, 5; Cod. Just. 10, 56).