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ōtĭōsus , a, um, adj. otium,
I.at leisure, unoccupied, disengaged, unemployed, idle (class.; cf. feriatus, immunis; opp. negotiosus).
I. Of persons.
A. In gen.: “nimis otiosum te arbitror hominem esse,” Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 34; 40: “quamvis etiam maneo otiosus hic,” Ter. Ad. 2, 4, 15: “cum essem otiosus domi,” Cic. Brut. 3, 10: “rebus humanis aliquos otiosos deos praeficere,” id. N. D. 3, 39, 93.—
B. In partic.
1. Without official employment, free from public affairs: “quo in studio hominum quoque ingeniosissimorum otiosissimorumque totas aetates videmus esse contritas,” Cic. de Or. 1, 51, 219: “quem locum nos otiosi convertimus,” in an interval of leisure, id. Div. 2, 30, 63: “Graeculum se atque otiosum putari maluit,” id. Sest. 51, 110: numquam se minus otiosum esse, quam cum otiosus, that he was never less at leisure than when free from official business, Cato ap. Cic. Off. 3, 1, 1: “cum a te tua promissa flagitabam, ad urbem te otiosissimum esse arbitrabar,” Cic. Fam. 3, 11, 3: “cum otiosus stilum prehenderat,” id. Brut. 24, 93.—
2. With respect to participation, quiet, unconcerned, indifferent, neutral: “spectatores otiosi Leuctricae calamitatis,” Cic. Off. 2, 7, 26: “quidam enim non modo armatis, sed etiam otiosis minabantur,” id. Marcell. 6, 18.—
3. Without excitement, quiet, passionless, calm, tranquil: “etiam istos, quibus odio est otium, quietissimos atque otiosissimos reddam,” Cic. Agr. 2, 37, 102: “vide ut otiosus it,” Ter. Eun. 5, 3, 10; Cic. Fam. 9, 25, 3.—
4. Of style, tedious, dull: “(Cicero) lentus est in principiis, longus in narrationibus, otiosus circa excessus,” Tac. Or. 22.—
5. That has leisure for any thing; with gen.: studiorum otiosi, Plin. H. N. praef. § 6.—Hence,
C. Subst.: ōtĭōsus , i, m., a private person, one not in official life: “et facilior et tutior vita est otiosorum,” Cic. Off. 1, 21, 70: “otioso vero et nihil agenti privato, ... quando imperium senatus dedit?” id. Phil. 11, 8, 20.—
2. Non-combatants, civilians: “crudeliter enim otiosis minabantur,” Cic. Fam. 9, 6, 3 (B. and K. otiosissimi): “militare nomen grave inter otiosos,” Tac. Agr. 40.—
II. Of inanim. and abstr. things, at leisure, free, idle, unemployed: otioso in otio animus nescit, quid velit, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 256 Vahl.): “ego, cui fuerit ne otium quidem umquam otiosum,” Cic. Planc. 27, 66: pecuniae, idle, unemployed (opp. occupatus), Plin. Ep. 10, 62, 1: “senectus,” Cic. Sen. 14, 49: “his supplicationum otiosis diebus,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 3: “quid quiete otiosius animi,” Sen. Ira, 2, 13, 4.—
B. Transf.
1. Idle, useless, unprofitable, superfluous (cf.: “ignavus, iners, desidiosus): sententiae,” Quint. 1, 1, 35: “sermo,” id. 8, 2, 19: “otiosissimae occupationes,” Plin. Ep. 9, 6, 4; so, “otiosum est persequi singula,” Lact. 2, 4, 28; cf. Min. Fel. 23, 1.—
2. Quiet, free from any thing; with ab: “animo nunc jam otioso esse impero,” Ter. And. 5, 2, 1: “ab animo,” id. Phorm. 2, 2, 26: “a metu,” Gell. 2, 29, 9: “quid est animi quiete otiosius,” Sen. Ira, 2, 13, 2.—
3. With a quiet or gentle motion, quiet, gentle: “fons vel rivus huc conveniat otiosus,” flowing quietly, gently, Pall. 1, 37, 3.—Hence, adv.: ōtĭōsē .
A. Lit., at leisure, at ease, without occupation: “vivere,” Cic. Off. 3, 26, 97: “inambulare in foro,” Liv. 23, 7 fin.: “sequi,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 8: “ire,” id. Ep. 5, 1, 21: “magnast res, quam ego tecum otiose, si otiumst, cupio loqui,” id. Aul. 4, 10, 41.—
B. Transf.
1. Calmly, quietly, without haste, gently, gradually: ambula ergo cito. Sy. Immo otiose, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 14; cf. id. Truc. 1, 2, 66 (opp. to properare): “bene et otiose percoquere,” Cato, R. R. 76 fin.: “contemplari unumquodque otiose et considerare coepit,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 15, § 33: “quaerere,” id. Fin. 4, 13, 22: “segniter, otiose, neglegenter, contumaciter omnia agere,” Liv. 2, 57.—
2. Free from fear, quietly, fearlessly: “ademptum tibi jam faxo omnem metum, in aurem utramvis otiose ut dormias,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 100.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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hide References (35 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (35):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 3.11.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 9.25.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 9.6.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his brother Quintus, 3.8.3
    • Cicero, Philippics, 11.8.20
    • Cicero, For Plancius, 27.66
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.33
    • Cicero, On the Agrarian Law, 2.37.102
    • Cicero, For Marcellus, 6.18
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 51.110
    • Plautus, Epidicus, 5.1
    • Plautus, Miles Gloriosus, 4.6
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 4.1
    • Tacitus, Agricola, 40
    • Plautus, Aulularia, 4.10
    • Plautus, Truculentus, 1.2
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.51
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 9.6.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 23, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 57
    • Seneca, de Ira, 2.13.2
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 4.13
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.39
    • Cicero, De Senectute, 14
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.30
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.21
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 2.7
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 3.1
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 3.26
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 1.35
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 8, 2.19
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 19.10.12
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 2.29.9
    • Cicero, Brutus, 24.93
    • Cicero, Brutus, 3.10
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