Lewis & Short

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urbānus, a, um, adj. [urbs], of or belonging to the city or town, city-, town- (opp. rusticus; cf.: urbicus, oppidanus).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Adj.: nostri majores non sine causā praeponebant rusticos Romanos urbanis, Varr. R. R. 2, praef. § 1: rustica et urbana vita, id. ib. 3, 1, 1: vita (opp. rustica), Quint. 2, 4, 24; cf. Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 17: urbani assidui cives, quos scurras vocant, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 165: scurra, id. Most. 1, 1, 14: leges, id. Rud. 4, 3, 85: tribus, Cic. de Or. 1, 9, 38: praetor, Caes. B. C. 3, 20: plebes, Sall. C. 37, 4: servitia, id. ib. 24, 4: exercitus, Liv. 27, 3, 9: administratio rei publicae (opp. provincialis), Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 15, § 43: res, Plaut. Cas. 1, 13; Caes. B. G. 7, 6: motus, id. ib. 7, 1: luxus, Tac. A. 2, 44: praedia, land and houses, all land covered by buildings (v. praedium), Dig. 50, 16, 198; 8, 1, 1; cf. ib. 8, tit. 2: fundus, Cato, R. R. 8, 2: rus, Just. 31, 2: cohortes, Dig. 25, 1, 8, § 9.
      1. 2. Subst.: urbā-nus, i, m., an inhabitant of a city, a city man, citizen: urbani fiunt rustici, Plaut. Merc. 4, 3, 15 sq.: omnes urbani, rustici, Cic. Fin. 2, 23, 77: sermo omnis non modo urbanorum, sed etiam rusticorum, id. Or. 24, 81: otiosi, Liv. 5, 20, 6: obrepere urbanis, Plin. Ep. 9, 20, 2.
    2. B. Esp., devoted to the city, fond of city life: diligere secessum, quem tu nimis urbanus es, nisi concupiscis, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 29.
  2. II. Transf., in the city fashion, in the city style, citizenlike, both in a good and a bad sense.
    1. A. In a good sense.
      1. 1. Polished, refined, cultivated, courteous, affable, urbane (syn.: comis, humanus): hominem non solum sapientem, verum etiam, ut nunc loquimur urbanum, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 3; cf. Quint. 8, 3, 34 sq.; so Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 17.
        1. b. Transf., of plants, improved, cultivated, ornamental: sunt arborum quaedam urbaniores, quas his placet nominibus distinguere. Hae mites, quae fructu atque aliqua dote umbrarumve officio humaniusjuvant, non improbe dicantur urbanae. Plin. 16, 19, 32, § 78: acanthi topiariae et urbanae herbae, id. 22, 22, 34, § 76.
      2. 2. Of speech.
        1. a. In gen., refined, polished, elegant. nice, choice: in vocibus nostrorum oratorum recinit quiddam et resonat urbanius, Cic. Brut. 46, 171: genus dicendi, Quint. 2, 8, 4: os facile, explanatum, jucundum, urbanum, id est, in quo nulla neque rusticitas neque peregrinitas resonet, id. 11, 3, 30: distinctior et urbanior et altior Cicero, Tac. Or. 18.
        2. b. In partic., of wit, witty, humorous, facetious: urbanus homo erit, cujus multa bene dicta responsaque erunt: et qui in sermonibus, circulis, conviviis, item in contionibus, omni denique loco ridicule commodeque dicet, Domit. Mars. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 105: dictum per se urbanum, id. 6, 3, 54: circumfertur Marcii Philippi velut urbanissimum factum atque dictum, Col. 8, 16, 3: qui est in isto genere urbanissimus, Cic. Cael. 15, 36: Romani veteres atque urbani sales, id. Fam. 9, 15, 2: homines lauti et urbani, id. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 17: hic tibi comis et urbanus liberque videtur, witty, clever, Hor. S. 1, 4, 90: urbanus coepit haberi, id. Ep. 1, 15, 27: in senatu dicax et urbanus et bellus, Plin. Ep. 4, 25, 3: urbanos qui illa censuerunt dicam an miseros? Dicerem urbanos, si senatum deceret urbanitas, id. ib. 8, 6, 3.
    2. B. In a bad sense, bold, forward, impudent: frontis ad urbanae descendi praemia, Hor. Ep. 1, 9, 11: audacia, Cic. Prov. Cons. 4, 8.
      Adv.: urbānē (acc. to II. A.).
      1. 1. Courteously, civilly, affably, politely, urbanely: severe et graviter et prisce agere, an remisse ac leniter et urbane, Cic. Cael. 14, 33: urbanius agere, id. ib. 15, 36: urbanissime et prudentissime adjuvit, Treb. Gallien. 14.
        More freq.,
      2. 2. Of speech, wittily, acutely, elegantly, happily: aliquem facete et urbane ridere, Cic. Fin. 1, 11, 39: bene et urbane dicere, Quint. 6, 3, 42; 5, 7, 26; 6, 1, 46 al.: interrogare, id. 11, 3, 126: emendare, id. 8, 3, 54: urbanius elabi, id. 2, 11, 2: urbanissime respondere, Gell. 15, 5, 3.