tempore

Tempore is a Latin noun form meaning time, and it serves as the ablative singular of tempus, the neuter noun for a period or moment. The full paradigm of tempus is: nominative tempus, genitive temporis, dative tempori, accusative tempus, ablative tempore; in the plural: nom./acc tempora, genitive temporum, dative temporibus, ablative temporibus. This relationship gives tempus a central role in expressions of when actions occur or during what period they take place.

Usage and meaning

Tempore functions to indicate temporal context, often translated as “in time” or “in the time of.” It frequently appears with phrases that specify a broad period, such as war or peace, using the ablative to set the setting for an event. Common combinations include tempore belli (in the time of war) and tempore pacis (in the time of peace). It can also appear with illō tempore meaning “at that time.” The form is mainly encountered in classical, medieval, and ecclesiastical Latin, as well as in Latin phrases preserved in scholarly or motto contexts.

Related forms and derivatives

Tempus is the base noun; related terms include temonal or temporal derivatives in later languages, such as English temporal, derived from Latin temporalis. The word’s usage helps distinguish time as a context separate from place or action, a concept central to Latin grammar and rhetoric.

Notes

Tempore’s primary function is to mark temporal context in ablative constructions. Its use is most common in literary, historical, and formal Latin texts.