Gens Definition

jĕnz
gentes
noun
In ancient Rome, a clan united by descent through the male line from a common ancestor and having both name and religious observances in common.
Webster's New World
Any tribe or clan; esp., an exogamous group claiming descent through the male line.
Webster's New World

(historical) A legally defined unit of Roman society, being a collection of people related by birth, marriage or adoption, but allowing a greater amount of time between members and their common ancestor than is commonly implied by the term related.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
abbreviation
Generations.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Gens

Noun

Singular:
gens
Plural:
gentes, genses

Origin of Gens

  • From Latin gēns (“gens; tribe, people”); see also gentile, gender, genus, generate.

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin gēns genə- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Shortened from generations.

    From Wiktionary

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