urbanitas

urbānĭtas, ātis, f. [id.], a living in a city, city life.

I.

Lit.:

desideria urbis et urbanitatis,

Cic. Fam. 7, 6, 1:

in urbis urbanitatisque desiderio,

id. ib. 7, 17, 1.—

II.

Transf., city fashion, city manners, both in a good and in a bad sense.

A.

In a good sense.

1.

Refinement, elegance of manner, politeness, courtesy, affability, urbanity:

addo urbanitatem, quae est virtus, ut Stoici rectissime putant,

Cic. Fam. 3, 7, 5.—

2.

Refinement, delicacy, or elegance of speech:

urbanitate quādam quasi colorata oratio,

Cic. Brut. 46, 170; cf. Quint. 6, 3, 17 (opp. rusticitas); 6, 3, 103 sq.—

b.

In partic., wit, humor, pleasantry, raillery: contumelia si petulantius jactatur, convicium;

si facetius, urbanitas nominatur,

Cic. Cael. 3, 6:

in quantam hominum facetorum urbanitatem incurratis, non dico,

id. Fin. 2, 31, 103:

ut aliquando subtilitatem veteris urbanitatis et humanissimi sermonis attingerem,

id. Q. Fr. 2, 10, 2:

vides exaruisse jam veterem urbanitatem,

id. Fam. 7, 31, 2:

mancipiorum urbanitas in dominos contumeliosa,

Sen. Const. 11, 3:

in jocis,

Quint. 2, 5, 8:

oratoria,

id. 6, 3, 14:

risus si aptus est, urbanitatis nomen adsequitur,

id. 8, 6, 74; 10, 1, 115.—

B.

In a bad sense, trickery, roguery, knavery:

incuriosos milites (vernaculā utebantur urbanitate) quidam spoliavere,

Tac. H. 2, 88; so,

vernula,

Petr. 24.