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. pŏpŭlus (contr. POPLVS, Inscr. Column. Rostr. in Corp. Inscr. Lat. 195, 17, Plaut. Am. prol. 101; 1, 1, 103; id. Aul. 2, 4, 6; id. Cas. 3, 2, 6 et saep.
Also written POPOLVS, Corp. Inscr. Lat. 197, 15 al.; nom. plur. poploe, Carm. Sal. ap. Fest. p. 205 Müll.; v. pilumnoe) [from root pleof pleo; v. plenus], i, m., a people, the people.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (cf.: gens, natio): res publica res populi: populus autem non omnis hominum coetus quoquo modo congregatus, sed coetus multitudinis juris consensu et utilitatis communione sociatus, Cic. Rep. 1, 25, 39: populus Romanus, id. Phil. 6, 5, 12: exspectabat populus, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 90 Vahl.): tene magis salvum populus velit an populum tu, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 27: casci populi Latini, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 28 Müll. (Ann. v. 24 Vahl.): hi populi: Atellani, Calatini, etc., Liv. 22, 61 fin.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. The people, opp. to the Senate, in the formula senatus populusque Romanus (abbreviated S. P. Q. R.), saep.; cf.: et patres in populi fore potestate, Liv. 2, 56.
      2. 2. Opp. to the plebs: non enim populi, sed plebis eum (tribunum) magistratum esse, Liv. 2, 56: ut ea res populo plebique Romanae bene eveniret, Cic. Mur. 1, 1.
      3. 3. Rarely for plebs, the populace: dat populus, dat gratus eques, dat tura senatus, Mart. 8, 15, 3: urbanus, the citizens (opp. to the military), Nep. Cim. 2, 1.
  2. II. Transf.
      1. 1. A region, district, regarded as inhabited: frequens cultoribus alius populus, Liv. 21, 34, 1 (cf. Gr. δῆμος).
      2. 2. A multitude, host, crowd, throng, great number of persons or things (poet. and in postAug. prose): ratis populo peritura recepto, i. e. with the great multitude of passengers, Luc. 3, 665: fratrum, Ov. H. 14, 115: in tanto populo sileri parricidium potuit, Just. 10, 1: sororum, Ov. H. 9, 52; App. Mag. p. 304: apum, Col. 9, 13, 12: populus totidem imaginum, Plin. 33, 9, 45, § 129; Sen. Q. N. 1, 5: spicarum, Pall. 7, 2: scelerum, Sid. Ep. 6, 1 fin.: concursus in forum populi, Liv. 22, 7, 6.
      3. 3. The public, i. e. the open street (poet.): omnis habet geminas janua frontis, E quibus haec populum spectat; at illa Larem, Ov. F. 1, 136.