Civibus

Civibus is a Latin noun form that functions as the dative plural and the ablative plural of civis, meaning citizen. Civis is a third-declension noun for “citizen” or “resident”; its nominative plural is cives and genitive plural is civium. Therefore civibus translates as “to the citizens” or “for the citizens” in the dative plural, and as “by the citizens” or “with the citizens” in the ablative plural.

In use, civibus appears in contexts involving laws, decrees, or discussions concerning citizens. For example: Donum civibus datum est – “A gift has been given to the citizens.” Disputatio de civibus fuit – “There was a discussion about the citizens.” Cum civibus disputandum est – “One must argue with the citizens.” De civibus (meaning “about the citizens”) also illustrates the ablative plural after a preposition.

Civibus is often contrasted with related forms: civis (singular, “the citizen”), cives (nominative plural, “the citizens”), and civitas (the state or citizenry as a concept). The word’s use is primarily Latin, appearing in legal, political, and civic prose from the Roman era through medieval and early modern Latin texts.

Etymology traces civibus to civis, with standard Latin inflection for the third declension. As a grammatical form, it is essential for expressing indirect objects or prepositional phrases involving multiple citizens, and it commonly appears in inscriptions, legal summaries, and scholarly Latin.