iuratus

iuratus is a Latin adjective meaning sworn or oath-bound, derived from the verb iurare, to swear. In classical Latin the form declines by gender and number: iūrātus (masculine), iūrāta (feminine), iūrātum (neuter). The word commonly appears in legal or formal contexts and may function as a substantive, referring to a person who has taken an oath.

In usage, iuratus frequently appears in phrases such as iūrātus testis (“sworn witness”) or iūrātus miles (“sworn soldier”). In Roman law and inscriptions, the term could be used to designate individuals described as sworn or oath-bound, and the plural iūrāti could denote a group of sworn men, including jurors or oath-bound officials in certain texts.

In medieval and early modern Latin, iuratus continued to appear in notarial and legal writings. Notaries often used the term to signal that an attestation or witness had sworn an oath, and the related plural iūrāti is found in some legal Latin passages. While the term is chiefly of historical and linguistic interest today, it remains a noted example of Latin adjective usage and of how oath-taking was described in legal and administrative contexts.

In English-language scholarship, iuratus is discussed mainly as a Latin term illustrating oath-taking in classical and medieval legal culture. The more common modern English equivalents are sworn, oath-bound, or juror in specific contexts, but iuratus remains a useful reference for understanding Latin legal vocabulary and epigraphic texts.