Aequitas
/ae̯ˈkʷi.t̪aːs/noun
A Latin term meaning fairness, equity, or justice applied according to the circumstances of a case.
Did you know?Aequitas was personified on Roman coins as a goddess holding scales or a measuring rod, linking fairness to cosmic and civic balance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eykʷ-os
“Reconstructed adjective meaning even, equal, or suitably proportioned.”
Archaic Latin
Latin
aequus
“Even, level, equal, fair, or favorable.”
Classical Latin
Latin
aequitās
“Fairness, equity, impartiality, or justice; formed from aequus with the abstract-noun suffix -itas.”
Roman Imperial Period
Latin
Aequitas
“A personified virtue and divine principle of equitable treatment, frequently represented on imperial coinage.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
aequitas
“Equity or justice, especially the fair interpretation and application of law.”
Early Modern English
English
aequitas
“A learned Latin term used in legal, philosophical, and scholarly writing for equity or fairness.”
Modern English
English
Aequitas
“A specialized reference to the Roman personification or Latin principle of equity and justice.”