Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. līber, ĕra, ĕrum (old form, loebesum et loebertatem antiqui dicebant liberum et libertatem. Ita Graeci λοιβὴν et λείβειν, Paul. ex Fest. p. 121 Müll.; cf. 2. Liber), adj. [Gr. root λιφ-, λίπτω, to desire; cf. Sanscr. lub-dhas, desirous; Lat. libet, libido], that acts according to his own will and pleasure, is his own master; free, unrestricted, unrestrained, unimpeded, unshackled; independent, frank, open, bold (opp. servus, servilis).

  1. I. In gen.; constr. absol., with ab, the abl., and poet. also with gen.
          1. (α) Absol.: dictum est ab eruditissimis viris, nisi sapientem liberum esse neminem. Quid est enim libertas? Potestas vivendi ut velis, Cic. Par. 5, 1, 33: an ille mihi liber, cui mulier imperat, cui leges imponit, praescribit, jubet, vetat? etc., id. ib. 5, 2, 36: ad scribendi licentiam liber, id. N. D. 1, 44, 123: agri immunes ac liberi, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 69, § 166: integro animo ac libero causam defendere, unprejudiced, unbiased, id. Sull. 31, 86: liberi ad causas solutique veniebant, not under obligations, not bribed, id. Verr. 2, 2, 78 § 192; cf.: libera lingua, Plaut. Cist. 1, 2, 9: cor liberum, id. Ep. 1, 2, 43: vocem liberam mittere adversus aliquem, Liv. 35, 32, 6: libera verba animi proferre, Juv. 4, 90: judicium audientium relinquere integrum ac liberum, Cic. Div. 2, 72, 150: aliquid respuere ingenuo liberoque fastidio, id. Brut. 67, 236: libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio, id. Fin. 1, 10, 33: tibi uni vexatio direptioque sociorum impunita fuit ac libera, id. Cat. 1, 7, 18: pars quaestionum vaga et libera et late patens, id. de Or. 2, 16, 67: liberum arbitrium eis populo Romano permittente, Liv. 31, 11 fin.; cf. id. 37, 1, 5: mandata, full powers, unlimited authority, id. 37, 56; 38, 8: fenus, unlimited, id. 35, 7: custodia, free custody (i. e. confinement to a house or to a town), id. 24, 45; Vell. 1, 11, 1; v. custodia, II.: legatio, v. legatio: suffragia, the right of voting freely, Juv. 8, 211: locus, free from intruders, undisturbed, secure, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 49; 3, 2, 25; id. Cas. 3, 2, 4: aedes, a free house, free dwelling (assigned to the use of ambassadors of friendly nations during their stay in Rome), Liv. 30, 17 fin.; 35, 23; 42, 6: lectulus, i. e. not shared with a wife, Cic. Att. 14, 13, 5: toga (poet. for virilis toga), a man’s (prop. of one who is his own master), Ov. F. 3, 771: vestis, id. ib. 3, 777: libera omnia sibi servare, to reserve to one’s self full liberty, Plin. Ep. 1, 5.
            Comp.: hoc liberiores et solutiores sumus, quod, etc., Cic. Ac. 2, 3, 8: est finitimus oratori poëta, numeris astrictior paulo, verborum licentia liberior, id. de Or. 1, 16, 70: liberiores litterae, id. Att. 1, 13, 1: amicitia remissior esse debet et liberior et dulcior, freer, more unrestrained, more cheerful, id. Lael. 18 fin.: paulo liberior sententia, Quint. 4, 2, 121: liberior in utramque partem disputatio, id. 7, 2, 14: fusiores liberioresque numeri, id. 9, 4, 130: officia liberiora plenioraque, id. 6, 1, 9: (flumina) campo recepta Liberioris aquae, freer, less impeded, Ov. M. 1, 41; cf.: (Tiberinus) campo liberiore natat, freer, opener, id. F. 4, 292: liberiore frui caelo, freer, opener, id. M. 15, 301.
            Sup.: liberrimum hominum genus, comici veteres tradunt, etc., the frankest, most free-spoken, Quint. 12, 2, 22; cf.: liberrime Lolli, most frank, most ingenuous, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 1: indignatio, id. Epod. 4, 10.
          2. (β) Free or exempt from, void of; with ab: Mamertini vacui, expertes, soluti ac liberi fuerunt ab omni sumptu, molestia, munere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 10, § 23; cf.: (consul) solutus a cupiditatibus, liber a delictis, id. Agr. 1, 9, 27: ab observando homine perverso liber, id. Att. 1, 13, 2: liber a tali irrisione Socrates, liber Aristo Chius, id. Ac. 2, 39, 123: ab omni animi perturbatione liber, id. Off. 1, 20, 67; id. N. D. 2, 21, 55: loca abdita et ab arbitris libera, id. Att. 15, 16, B: libera a ferro crura, Ov. P. 1, 6, 32: animus liber a partibus rei publicae, Sall. C. 4.
          3. (γ) With abl.: animus omni liber curā et angore, free from, without, Cic. Fin. 1, 15: animus religione, Liv. 2, 36: animus cogitationibus aliis, Quint. 11, 2, 35: mens omnibus vitiis, id. 12, 1, 4; cf.: liberis odio et gratia mentibus, id. 5, 11, 37: omni liber metu, Liv. 7, 34: liber invidia, Quint. 12, 11, 7: equus carcere, Ov. Am. 2, 9, 20.
          4. (δ) With gen. (poet.): liber laborum, Hor. A. P. 212: fati gens Lydia, Verg. A. 10, 154: curarum, Luc. 4, 384.
            Comp.: liberior campi, having a wider space, Stat. S. 4, 2, 24.
            (ε) Liberum est, with subject-clause: quam (opinionem) sequi magis probantibus liberum est, it is free, permitted, allowable, Quint. 6, 3, 112; Plin. Ep. 1, 8: dies eligere certos liberum erat, Plin. 30, 2, 6, § 16.
            So in abl. absol.: libero, quid firmaret mutaretve, Tac. A. 3, 60.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. Free, in a social point of view, not a slave (opp. servus; also to ingenuus): neque vendendam censes quae libera est, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 40; cf. id. ib. v. 28: dis habeo gratiam quom aliquot affuerunt liberae, because slaves were not permitted to testify, id. And. 4, 4, 32; opp. ingenuus, free-born: quid ea? ingenuan’ an festucā facta e servā liberast? Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 14: in jure civili, qui est matre liberā, liber est, Cic. N. D. 3, 18, 45; id. Caecin. 36, 96: si neque censu, neque vindictā, nec testamento liber factus est (servus), non est liber, id. Top. 2, 10: quae (assentatio) non modo amico, sed ne libero quidem digna est, of a freeman, id. Lael. 24, 89; Quint. 11, 1, 43: liberorum hominum alii ingenui sunt, alii libertini, Gai. Inst. 1, 10; cf. sqq.: ex ancilla et libero jure gentium servus nascitur, id. ib. 1, 82; cf. § 85; Paul. Sent. 2, 24, 1 sqq.
    2. B. Free, in a political point of view; said both of a people not under monarchical rule and of one not in subjection to another people, Cic. Rep. 1, 32, 48; cf.: ut ex nimia potentia principum oritur interitus principum, sic hunc nimis liberum populum libertas ipsa servitute afficit, id. ib. 1, 44, 68: liber populus, id. ib. 3, 34, 46: (Demaratus) vir liber ac fortis, democratic, republican, fond of liberty, id. ib. 2, 19, 34: civitates liberae atque immunes, free from service, Liv. 37, 55: provinciae civitatesque liberae, Suet. Vesp. 8: libera ac foederata oppida, id. Calig. 3: Roma patrem patriae Ciceronem libera dixit, Juv. 8, 244.
    3. C. In a bad sense, esp. with reference to sensual pleasure, unbridled, unchecked, unrestrained, licentious: quam liber harum rerum multarum siet (Juppiter), Plaut. Am. prol. 105: adulescens imprudens et liber, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 40; cf.: sit adulescentia liberior, somewhat freer, Cic. Cael. 18, 42: amores soluti et liberi, id. Rep. 4, 4, 4: consuetudo peccandi, id. Verr. 2, 3, 76, § 177.
      Hence, adv.: lībĕrē, freely, unrestrictedly, without let or hinderance; frankly, openly, boldly: qui nihil dicit, nihil facit, nihil cogitat denique, nisi libenter ac libere, Cic. Par. 5, 1, 34: animus somno relaxatus solute movetur et libere, id. Div. 2, 48, 100: respirare, id. Quint. 11, 39: constanter et libere (me gessi), id. Att. 4, 16, 9: consilium dare, id. Lael. 13, 44: aliquid magis accusatorie quam libere dixisse, id. Verr. 2, 2, 72, § 176: omnia libere fingimus et impune, Quint. 6, 1, 43: ut ingredi libere (oratio), non ut licenter videatur errare, Cic. Or. 23, 77.
      Comp.: liberius vivendi fuit potestas, Ter. And. 1, 1, 23: loqui, Cic. Planc. 13, 33: fortius liberiusque defendere, Quint. 12, 1, 21: liberius si Dixero quid, Hor. S. 1, 4, 103: maledicere, id. ib. 2, 8, 37: longius et liberius exseritur digitus, Quint. 11, 3, 92; cf. id. 11, 3, 97: ipsaque tellus Omnia liberius, nullo poscente, ferebat, freely, of itself, spontaneously, Verg. G. 1, 127.

Lībĕra, ae, f. [3. Liber].

  1. I. Proserpine, daughter of Ceres, and sister of Liber: hunc dico Liberum Semelā natum, non eum, quem nostri majores auguste sancteque Liberum cum Cerere et Libera consecraverunt, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 24, 62; id. Verr. 2, 5, 14, § 36: Ceres et Libera, quarum sacra, etc., id. ib. 2, 5, 72, § 137: signa aënea Cereri, Libero Liberaeque posuerunt, Liv. 33, 25: supplicatio ad Cereris, Liberi Liberaeque fuit, id. 41, 28; for which in full: familia ad aedem Cereris, Liberi Liberaeque venum iret, id. 3, 55, 7.
  2. II. Ariadne (because she was the wife of Bacchus), Ov. F. 3, 512.