civitas: Meaning and Definition of

civ•i•tas

Pronunciation: (siv'i-tas" Lat. kē'wi-täs"), [key]
— pl. civ•i•ta•tes
  1. the body of citizens who constitute a state, esp. a city-state, commonwealth, or the like.
  2. citizenship, esp. as imparting shared responsibility, a common purpose, and sense of community.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.