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Webster 1913 Edition

Consul

Con′sul

(kŏn′sŭl)
,
Noun.
[L., prob. fr.
consulere
to deliberate. See
Consult
.]
1.
(Rom. Antiq.)
One of the two chief magistrates of the republic.
☞ They were chosen annually, originally from the patricians only, but later from the plebeians also.
2.
A senator; a counselor.
[Obs.]
Many of the
consuls
, raised and met,
Are at the duke’s already.
Shakespeare
With kings and
consuls
of the earth.
Job. iii. 14 (Douay Ver. )
3.
(Fr. Hist.)
One of the three chief magistrates of France from 1799 to 1804, who were called, respectively, first, second, and third consul.
4.
An official commissioned to reside in some foreign country, to care for the commercial interests of the citizens of the appointing government, and to protect its seamen.
Consul general
,
a consul of the first rank, stationed in an important place, or having jurisdiction in several places or over several consuls.
–
Vice consul
,
a consular officer holding the place of a consul during the consul's absence or after he has been relieved.

Webster 1828 Edition

Consul

CONSUL

,
Noun.
[L., to consult.]
1.
The chief magistrate of the Ancient Roman Republic, invested with regal authority for one year. There were two consuls, annually chosen in the campus Martius. In the first ages of Tome, they were elected from Patrician families or noblemen; but in the year of Rome 388, the people obtained the privilege of electing one of the consuls from their own body, and sometimes both were plebeians.
2.
In modern usage, the name consul is given to a person commissioned by a king or state to reside in a foreign country as an agent or representative, to protect the rights, commerce, merchants and seamen of the state, and to aid the government in any commercial transactions with such foreign country.
3.
An adviser. [Not well authorized.]

Definition 2024

consul

consul

See also: cónsul and cônsul

English

Noun

consul ‎(plural consuls)

  1. (historical) Either of the two heads of government and state of the Roman Republic or the equivalent nominal post under the Roman and Byzantine Empires.
  2. (historical) Any of the three heads of government and state of France between 1799 and 1804.
  3. (obsolete) A count or earl.
  4. (obsolete) A councillor, particularly:
    1. (historical) A member of early modern city councils in southern France and Catalonia.
    2. (historical) An officer of the trading and merchant companies of early modern England.
    3. (historical) An official in various early modern port and trading towns, elected by resident foreign merchants to settle disputes among themselves and to represent them to the local authorities.
  5. (by extension) An official residing in major foreign towns to represent and protect the interests of the merchants and citizens of his or her country.
  6. (obsolete) A counsellor.
    • Shakespeare
      Many of the consuls, raised and met,
      Are at the duke's already.
    • Bible, Job. iii. 14 (Douay version)
      With kings and consuls of the earth.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

References

  1. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, 1st edition: "consul, n." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1893.

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɔnzʏl/

Noun

consul c ‎(plural consuls)

  1. consul (official in foreign country)
  2. (historical) consul (of the Roman Republic)

French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin cōnsul.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɔ̃.syl/

Noun

consul m ‎(plural consuls, feminine consule)

  1. consul, in its various senses.

Synonyms

  • (early modern councilmen of southern France and Catalonia): échevin; capitoul (Toulouse)

Related terms

Anagrams

Latin

Bas-relief of Flavius Anastasius Paulus Probus Sabinianus Pompeius, consul ad 517, in his robes of office.

Etymology

From Old Latin consol. Maybe related to the Latin verb cōnsulō but details are not clear.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

cōnsul m ‎(genitive cōnsulis); third declension

  1. consul: either of the two highest-ranking officials of the Roman republic, elected annually
    • 63 BCE, Cicero, Catiline Orations (Latin text and English translations here)
      O tempora, o mores! Senatus haec intellegit, consul videt; hic tamen vivit. Vivit?
      "Shame on the age and on its principles! The senate is aware of these things; the consul sees them; and yet this man lives. Lives!"
  2. a proconsul
  3. the highest magistrate in other states
  4. an epithet of the god Jupiter

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative cōnsul cōnsulēs
genitive cōnsulis cōnsulum
dative cōnsulī cōnsulibus
accusative cōnsulem cōnsulēs
ablative cōnsule cōnsulibus
vocative cōnsul cōnsulēs

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

References

  • consul in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • consul in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • CONSUL in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
  • Félix Gaffiot (1934), “consul”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
  • Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
    • to be chosen consul at the elections: comitiis consulem creari
    • to elect a consul: consulem creare
    • to declare a person consul-elect: aliquem consulem declarare (Leg. Agr. 2. 2. 4)
    • to offically proclaim (by the praeco, herald) a man elected consul; to return a man consul: aliquem consulem renuntiare (De Or. 2. 64. 260)
    • twice consul: bis consul
    • consul for the second, third time: iterum, tertium consul
    • consul for the sixth, seventh time: sextum (Pis. 9. 20), septimum consul
    • (ambiguous) the augurs announce an unfavourable sign: augures obnuntiant (consuli) (Phil. 2. 33. 83)
    • (ambiguous) let the consuls take measures for the protection of the state: videant or dent operam consules, ne quid res publica detrimenti capiat (Catil. 1. 2. 4)
    • (ambiguous) to go to Cilicia as pro-consul: pro consule in Ciliciam proficisci
  • consul in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, pre-publication website, 2005-2016
  • consul in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
  1. ↑ “console” in: Alberto Nocentini, Alessandro Parenti, “l'Etimologico — Vocabolario della lingua italiana”, Le Monnier, 2010, ISBN 978-88-00-20781-2

Norman

Etymology

From Latin cōnsul ‎(“consul”).

Noun

consul m ‎(plural consuls)

  1. (Jersey) consul

Related terms

Etymology

From Latin cōnsul, from con- ‎(“with”) +‎ salīre ‎(“to jump, to leap”).[1]

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɒn.səl/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɑn.səl/

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