Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges
J. B. Greenough, G. L. Kittredge, A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, Ed.

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[*] 289. Neuter Adjectives are used substantively in the following special senses:—

[*] a. The neuter singular may denote either a single object or an abstract quality:—

raptō vīvere, to live by plunder.

in āridō, on dry ground.

1. honestum, an honorable act, or virtue (as a quality).
2. opus est mātūrātō, there is need of haste. [Cf. impersonal passives § 208. d.]

[*] b. The neuter plural is used to signify objects in general having the quality denoted, and hence may stand for the abstract idea:—

honesta, honorable deeds (in general).

praeterita, the past (lit., bygones).

1. omnēs fortia laudant, all men praise bravery (brave things).

[*] c. A neuter adjective may be used as an appositive or predicate noun with a noun of different gender (cf. § 287. a):—

1. “ trīste lupus stabulīs ” (Ecl. 3.80) , the wolf [is] a grievous thing for the fold.
2. “ varium et mūtābile semper fēmina ” (Aen. 4.569) , woman is ever a changing and fickle thing.
3. “ malum mihi vidētur esse mors ” (Tusc. 1.9) , death seems to me to be an evil.

[*] d. A neuter adjective may be used as an attributive or a predicate adjective with an infinitive or a substantive clause:—

1. “ istuc ipsum nōn esse ” (Tusc. 1.12) , that very “not to be.”
2. hūmānum est errāre, to err is human.
aliud est errāre Caesarem nōlle, aliud nōlle miserērī; (Lig. 16), it is one thing to be unwilling that Cæsar should err, another to be unwilling that he should pity.