Principâtus, huius, principátus, pen. prod. m. g. Cæs. The soueraigntie or Lordship: dominion: principalitie: seignorie.Diui Augnsti principatu obijt. Plin. He died in the reign of Augustus, or while he was Emperour.Principatus est apibus. Plin. Regius principatus. Cicer.Deferre principatum alicui. C. Delere principatum. Cic.Dare principatum homini.Cic.To prayse and extoll aboue al other. Also to attribute vnto him the sonereigutie and dominion.Dare principatum alicui rei. Pl. To count a thing the chiefe and most excellent.Penes ipsum est principatus. Ci. He hath the chiefe or principall part.Ferre principatum alicuius belli, Cic.To be soueraign captaine of warre.Nimia cupiditas principates facilimè in elatione animi innascitur, Cic.Tenere princìpatum alicuius rei. Ci. To be the principall or chiefe doer in a matter.Vt quisque ætare anrecellit, ita sentÊtiæ principatum tenet.Cic.Euery man according to his age pronounceth his sÊtence or opinion first.Diuinum tribuit principatum menti Theophrastus. Ci.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
princĭpātus, ūs, m. [princeps], the first place, pre-eminence, preference (class.). I. In gen.: omnem naturam necesse est .. habere aliquem in se principatum, ut in homine mentem ... in arborum autem radicibus inesse principatus putatur. Principatum autem id dico, quod Graeci h(gemoniko/n vocant, quo nihil in quoque genere nec potest, nec debet esse praestantius, Cic. N. D. 2, 11, 29 sq.: animi, id. Tusc. 1, 10, 20: ut quisque aetate antecedit, ita sententiae principatum tenet, id. Sen. 18, 64: Gallia hujus belli sustinendi principatum tenet, i. e. in bello sustinendo, id. Phil. 12, 4, 9: eloquentiae dignitatis principatum dare, id. Off. 2, 19, 49: qui tibi detulerat ex latronibus suis principatum, id. Phil. 2, 3, 5: sol astrorum obtinet principatum, id. N. D. 2, 19, 49: principatum in oleo obtinuit Italia, Plin. 15, 2, 3, 8; 16, 36, 64, 156; 37, 13, 76, 198.—II. In partic. A.The chief place in the state or the army, the post of commander-in-chief: Cassio dominatum et principatum dari, Cic. Phil. 11, 14, 36: Cingetorigi principatus atque imperium est traditum, Caes. B. G. 6, 8 fin.: obtinere principatum totius Galliae, id. ib. 7, 4: se dejectos principatu, id. ib. 7, 63: de principatu contendere, Nep. Arist. 1.—2. Of the empire (post-Aug.), reign, empire, dominion, sovereignty: Nero toto principatu suo hostis generis humani, Plin. 7, 8, 6, 46: Fenestella, qui obiit novissimo Tiberii Caesaris principatu, id. 33, 11, 52, 146: Nerva res olim dissociabiles miscuit, principatum et libertatem, Tac. Agr. 3; Plin. Pan. 36, 3; 45, 3; Suet. Calig. 22; id. Tib. 24.—B.A beginning, origin (class. but very rare): an mundus ab aliquo temporis principatu ortus est?Cic. Univ. 2; cf.: totius opusculi principatus,
the beginning
, Diom. 375 P.—III.The hosts of angels, good or bad (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Rom. 8, 38; id. Col. 1, 16.