sobrius

Sobrius is a Latin adjective meaning sober, temperate, or restrained. Grammatically, it belongs to the second declension: masculine nominative sobrius; feminine sobria; neuter sobrium. The basic sense is literal sobriety—not intoxicated—but it also connotes moderation of conduct and prudent, measured judgment.

In Classical Latin, sobrius describes a person who is in control of himself, in contrast to someone swayed by wine or passion. In moral and philosophical discourse it extends to self-government of the passions and sound, prudent thinking. In Christian Latin, the noun sobrietās (sobriety) and related phrases appear in exhortations to temperance and disciplined living.

In modern Latin usage, the term remains a standard gloss for “sober” in scholarly translations of Greek sophronēs or sophrosyne, and appears in inscriptions and theological or ethical discussions to indicate temperance or restrained judgment. It is not a common everyday English word, but it continues to surface in Latin phrases, academic writings, and discussions of rhetoric and ethics.

Related terms include sobrietās (sobriety) and phrases describing a sober mind. The adjective also occurs in proper names or Latinized titles and in some academic or ecclesiastical contexts as a descriptive label.