Lewis & Short

rĕmissĭo, ōnis, f. [remitto] (acc. to remitto, I. A. and B.), a sending back or away, releasing

  1. I. Lit. (rare).
      1. 1. A sending back, returning; of persons: obsidum captivorumque, Liv. 27, 17, 1.
        Of things, a throwing back, reflecting: splendoris, Vitr. 7, 3, 9.
      2. 2. A letting down, lowering: ex superciliorum aut remissione aut contractione, Cic. Off. 1, 41, 146.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. A slackening, relaxing, abating, diminishing, remitting; remission, relaxation, abatement (syn. relaxatio): animus intentione suā depellit pressum omnem ponderum, remissione autem sic urgetur, ut se nequeat extollere, Cic. Tusc. 2, 23, 54: contentiones vocis et remissiones, id. de Or. 1, 61, 261; cf. id. Brut. 91, 314; so, vocis, Quint. 1, 10, 25: σφυγμὸς est intentio motūs et remissio in corde et in arteria, Gell. 18, 10, 10: remissio lenitatis quādam gravitate et contentione firmatur, laxity, Cic. de Or. 2, 53, 212: operis, Varr. R. R. 1, 17, 7; cf. laboris, id. ib. 2, 6, 4; Quint. 3, 8, 29: tales igitur amicitiae sunt remissione usus eluendae, Cic. Lael. 21, 76: senescentis morbi remissio, id. Fam. 7, 26, 1; so, febris, Suet. Tib. 73: doloris, Scrib. Comp. 99.
      1. 2. Slackness, laxness, want of spirit: in acerbissimā injuriā remissio animi ac dissolutio, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 9.
      2. 3. Relaxation, recreation: ad omnem animi remissionem ludumque descendere, Cic. de Or 2, 6, 22; so, animorum, id. Fam. 9, 24, 3; id. Arch. 7, 16.
        Absol.: quem non quies, non remissio, non aequalium studia, non ludi delectarent, Cic. Cael. 17, 39: danda est omnibus aliqua remissio, Quint. 1, 3, 8.
        Absol. in plur., Quint. 1, 3, 8, § 11; Gell. 15, 2, 5; Plin. Ep. 4, 3, 1, id. Pan. 49, 4: tempora curarum remissionumque, Tac. Agr. 9; id. Or. 28.
      3. 4. Mildness, gentleness, lenity: (Adversarius) tum ad severitatem, tum ad remissionem animi est contorquen dus, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72 (cf. remissus, B. 1.): so, remissione poenae, by a relaxing, diminishing of punishment, by a milder punishment, id. Cat. 4, 6, 13.
    2. B. (Acc. to remitto, I. B. 2. b.) A remitting of a penalty, etc., a remission, Col. 1, 7, 1; Suet. Caes. 20; Plin. Ep. 8, 2, 6; 10, 8, 5: remissio tributi in triennium, Tac. A. 4, 13: nuntiationis, remission, abrogation, Dig. 39, 1, 8, § 4.
      Plur.: post magnas remissiones, reduction of rent, Plin. Ep. 9, 37, 2.
    3. C. In eccl. Lat., remission, forgiveness of sin, etc.: delicti, Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 28: peccatorum, Ambros. de Isaac et Anim. 1, 1; Vulg. Matt. 26, 28; id. Act. 2, 38.
  3. * III. A repetition: nova ludorum remissio, Petr. 60, 5.