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- DictionaryGens/jenz/
noun
- 1. a group of families in ancient Rome who shared a name and claimed a common origin.
- 2. a group of people who are related through their male ancestors.
In ancient Rome, a gens (/ ɡ ɛ n s / or / dʒ ɛ n z /, Latin:; pl.: gentes [ˈgɛnteːs]) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same nomen gentilicium and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of gens, identified by the cognomen, was called a stirps (pl.: stirpes).
First recorded in 1840–50, gens is from the Latin word gēns race, people. See genus, gender 1, gender 2
gens. (dʒɛnz) n., pl. gen•tes (ˈdʒɛn tiz) 1. a group of families in ancient Rome claiming descent from a common ancestor and sharing the same nomen. 2. a group of persons tracing common descent in the male line; clan.
3 days ago · 1. a group of families in ancient Rome claiming descent from a common ancestor and united by a common name and common ancestral religious rites. 2. Anthropology. a group tracing common descent in the male line; clan. Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC.
Gens definition: A patrilineal clan of ancient Rome composed of several families of the same name claiming a common ancestor and belonging to a common religious cult.
The gens (plural gentes) was a Roman family, of Italic or Etruscan origins, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. It was an important social and legal structure in early Roman history .
May 9, 2018 · gens / jenz / • n. (pl. gen·tes / ˈjentēz / ) 1. a group of families in ancient Rome who shared a name and claimed a common origin.2. Anthropol. a group of people who are related through their male ancestors. The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. gens. views 2,090,942 updated Jun 27 2018. gens See PHRATRY.
