pugilis

Pugilis is a Latin noun meaning "boxer" or "fighter." In classical and late antique Latin it described a person who engages in pugilism, especially in contexts referencing bare-knuckle boxing, gymnasia, or gladiatorial-style combat. The term is used in literary and legal texts to denote a professional or trained fighter rather than a general combatant.

It is the source of the English words pugilist and pugilism, which retain the sense of boxing as a sport. The etymology traces the Latin stem pugil- to the broader Latin vocabulary for fighting, including pugna "fight" and pugnare "to fight."

Usage today is largely scholarly or historical. In modern English, pugilis is rarely used outside discussions of Latin language or ancient sport; more common terms are "pugilist" for a boxer and "pugilism" for the sport itself. The Latin form is sometimes encountered in translations or glossaries of Latin texts.

Related topics include the broader cultural history of boxing in antiquity and the linguistic lineage of boxing terminology.