I.of or belonging to the city or town, city-, town- (opp. rusticus; cf.: urbicus, oppidanus).
I. Lit.
A. Adj.: “nostri majores non sine causā praeponebant rusticos Romanos urbanis,” Varr. R. R. 2, praef. § “1: rustica et urbana vita,” id. ib. 3, 1, 1: “vita (opp. rustica),” Quint. 2, 4, 24; cf. Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 17: “urbani assidui cives, quos scurras vocant,” Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 165: “scurra,” id. Most. 1, 1, 14: “leges,” id. Rud. 4, 3, 85: “tribus,” Cic. de Or. 1, 9, 38: “praetor,” Caes. B. C. 3, 20: “plebes,” Sall. C. 37, 4: “servitia,” id. ib. 24, 4: “exercitus,” Liv. 27, 3, 9: “administratio rei publicae (opp. provincialis),” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 15, § 43: “res,” Plaut. Cas. 1, 13; Caes. B. G. 7, 6: “motus,” id. ib. 7, 1: “luxus,” Tac. A. 2, 44: praedia, land and houses, all land covered by buildings (v. praedium), Dig. 50, 16, 198; 8, 1, 1; cf. ib. 8, tit. 2: “fundus,” Cato, R. R. 8, 2: “rus,” Just. 31, 2: “cohortes,” Dig. 25, 1, 8, § 9.—
2. Subst.: urbā-nus , i, m., an inhabitant of a city, a city man, citizen: “urbani fiunt rustici,” Plaut. Merc. 4, 3, 15 sq.: “omnes urbani, rustici,” Cic. Fin. 2, 23, 77: “sermo omnis non modo urbanorum, sed etiam rusticorum,” id. Or. 24, 81: “otiosi,” Liv. 5, 20, 6: “obrepere urbanis,” Plin. Ep. 9, 20, 2.—
B. Esp., devoted to the city, fond of city life: “diligere secessum, quem tu nimis urbanus es, nisi concupiscis,” Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 29.—
II. Transf., in the city fashion, in the city style, citizenlike, both in a good and a bad sense.
A. In a good sense.
1. Polished, refined, cultivated, courteous, affable, urbane (syn.: “comis, humanus): hominem non solum sapientem, verum etiam, ut nunc loquimur urbanum,” Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 3; cf. Quint. 8, 3, 34 sq.; so Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 17.—
b. Transf., of plants, improved, cultivated, ornamental: sunt arborum quaedam urbaniores, quas his placet nominibus distinguere. Hae mites, quae fructu atque aliqua dote umbrarumve officio humaniusjuvant, non improbe dicantur urbanae. Plin. 16, 19, 32, § 78: “acanthi topiariae et urbanae herbae,” id. 22, 22, 34, § 76.—
2. Of speech.
a. In gen., refined, polished, elegant. nice, choice: “in vocibus nostrorum oratorum recinit quiddam et resonat urbanius,” Cic. Brut. 46, 171: “genus dicendi,” Quint. 2, 8, 4: “os facile, explanatum, jucundum, urbanum, id est, in quo nulla neque rusticitas neque peregrinitas resonet,” id. 11, 3, 30: “distinctior et urbanior et altior Cicero,” Tac. Or. 18.—
b. In partic., of wit, witty, humorous, facetious: urbanus homo erit, cujus multa bene dicta responsaque erunt: et qui in sermonibus, circulis, conviviis, item in contionibus, omni denique loco ridicule commodeque dicet, Domit. Mars. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 105: “dictum per se urbanum,” id. 6, 3, 54: “circumfertur Marcii Philippi velut urbanissimum factum atque dictum,” Col. 8, 16, 3: “qui est in isto genere urbanissimus,” Cic. Cael. 15, 36: “Romani veteres atque urbani sales,” id. Fam. 9, 15, 2: “homines lauti et urbani,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 17: “hic tibi comis et urbanus liberque videtur,” witty, clever, Hor. S. 1, 4, 90: “urbanus coepit haberi,” id. Ep. 1, 15, 27: “in senatu dicax et urbanus et bellus,” Plin. Ep. 4, 25, 3: “urbanos qui illa censuerunt dicam an miseros? Dicerem urbanos, si senatum deceret urbanitas,” id. ib. 8, 6, 3.—
B. In a bad sense, bold, forward, impudent: “frontis ad urbanae descendi praemia,” Hor. Ep. 1, 9, 11: “audacia,” Cic. Prov. Cons. 4, 8.—Adv.: urbānē (acc. to II. A.).
1. Courteously, civilly, affably, politely, urbanely: “severe et graviter et prisce agere, an remisse ac leniter et urbane,” Cic. Cael. 14, 33: “urbanius agere,” id. ib. 15, 36: urbanissime et prudentissime adjuvit, Treb. Gallien. 14.—More freq.,
2. Of speech, wittily, acutely, elegantly, happily: “aliquem facete et urbane ridere,” Cic. Fin. 1, 11, 39: “bene et urbane dicere,” Quint. 6, 3, 42; 5, 7, 26; 6, 1, 46 al.: “interrogare,” id. 11, 3, 126: “emendare,” id. 8, 3, 54: “urbanius elabi,” id. 2, 11, 2: “urbanissime respondere,” Gell. 15, 5, 3.
