comitia: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Historical, Technical
Quick answer
What does “comitia” mean?
An assembly of the Roman people convened for legislative or electoral purposes.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An assembly of the Roman people convened for legislative or electoral purposes.
A formal public assembly with legal and political authority in ancient Rome; more generally, any formal legislative or electoral gathering with historic or classical connotations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The term is equally rare in both varieties, confined to specialised classical or historical discourse.
Connotations
Neutral historical/technical term. No particular positive or negative charge.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both varieties. Usage is almost exclusively in academic writing about Roman history or law.
Grammar
How to Use “comitia” in a Sentence
The comitia + [verb: was/were convened/voted/approved]To convene/hold/summon the comitiaA decision/vote/law of the comitiaVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “comitia” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never used.
Academic
Used in historical, classical, and legal studies texts discussing Roman governance.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Core term in Roman history and constitutional law.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “comitia”
- Using it as a singular noun ('a comitia') – while technically correct (singular: comitium), it's almost always plural.
- Confusing it with 'committee'.
- Using it in a modern, non-historical context.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a plural Latin noun (singular: comitium). In English, it is often treated as a singular collective noun ('the comitia was...'), but the plural treatment ('the comitia were...') is also correct, especially in strict academic usage.
No, it is a strictly historical term specific to ancient Rome. Using it for a modern institution would be incorrect and stylistically jarring.
The three main types were the Comitia Curiata (oldest, based on clans), the Comitia Centuriata (based on wealth and military class), and the Comitia Tributa (based on geographical tribes).
In British English, it is typically pronounced /kəˈmɪtɪə/ (kuh-MIT-ee-uh), with the stress on the second syllable.
An assembly of the Roman people convened for legislative or electoral purposes.
Comitia is usually formal, academic, historical, technical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of COMing together In The Ancient Roman assembly.
Conceptual Metaphor
DEMOCRACY/LEGISLATION IS A FORMAL GATHERING. Often conceptualised as the ancient precursor to a parliament.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'comitia' be most appropriately used?