levitas
πῶς δ' οὐκ ἀρίστη; τίς δ' ἐναντιώσεται; τί χρὴ γενέσθαι τὴν ὑπερβεβλημένην γυναῖκα; (Euripides' Alcestis 152-54) → How is she not noblest? Who will deny it? What must a woman have become to surpass her?
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
lēvĭtas: (laev-), ātis, f. 2. lēvis,
I smoothness.
I Lit. (class.): speculorum, Cic. Univ. 14; id. de Or. 3, 25, 99; id. Univ. 6; Plin. 2, 3, 3, § 7: intestinorum, slipperiness, lubricity, Cels. 4, 16; 2, 8.—
II Trop., of speech, smoothness, fluency, facility: Demosthenes nihil levitate Aeschini et splendore verborum cedit, Cic. Or. 31, 110: verborum, Quint. 10, 1, 52: effeminata, id. 8, 3, 6.
lĕvĭtas: ātis, f. 1. levis,
I lightness, as to weight.
I Lit. (rare): plumarum, Lucr. 3, 387; id. 4, 745: armorum, Caes. B. G. 5, 34: nulli fruticum levitas major, Plin. 13, 22, 42, § 123.—*
B Transf., poet., movableness, mobility: Termine, post illud levitas tibi libera non est: Qua positus fueris in statione, mane, Ov. F. 2, 673.—
II Trop.
A Light-mindedness, changeableness, fickleness, inconstancy, levity (freq. and class.): quid est inconstantiā, mobilitate, levitate turpius? Cic. Phil. 7, 3, 9: temere assentientium, id. Ac. 2, 38, 120: in populari ratione, id. Brut. 27, 103: mobilitas et levitas animi, Caes. B. G. 2, 1: ut adversas res, sic secundas immoderate ferre, levitatis est, lightness of mind, Cic. Off. 1, 26, 90: amatoriis levitatibus dediti, frivolities, id. Fin. 1, 18, 62: manet in rebus temere congestis levitas, Quint. 10, 3, 17: contemnamus igitur omnis ineptias—quod enim lenius huic levitati nomen inponam, Cic. Tusc. 1, 40, 95.—
B In partic., of speech, shallowness, superficialness (rare): opinionis, Cic. N. D. 2, 17, 45.
Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)
(1) lēvĭtās¹⁴ (læv-), ātis, f., le poli : Cic. Tim. 49 ; de Or. 3, 99 || intestinorum Cels. Med. 4, 16, lienterie, flux lientérique || [fig.] poli du style : Cic. Or. 110 ; Quint. 10, 1, 52.
(2) lĕvĭtās,⁹ ātis, f. (lĕvis),
1 légèreté : Lucr. 3, 387 ; Cæs. G. 5, 34, 3 ; Plin. 13, 123 || mobilité : Ov. F. 3, 673
2 légèreté, inconstance, frivolité : Cic. Phil. 7, 9 ; Off. 1, 90 ; Br. 103 ; Quint. 10, 3, 17 || faiblesse, futilité d’une opinion : Cic. Nat. 2, 45.