Catonism
/ˈkætənɪzəm/noun
A maxim, moral saying, or principle associated with Cato the Elder or Cato the Younger.
Did you know?Catonisms draw on the severe moral reputation of Cato the Elder and Cato the Younger, Roman figures later remembered as symbols of austerity, virtue, and uncompromising principle.
Etymological Timeline
2nd Century BCE
Latin
Cato
“Roman family name, famously borne by Cato the Elder and Cato the Younger; traditionally associated with shrewdness or practical wisdom”
1st Century BCE
Latin
Catonis
“Of Cato; the genitive form used in Latin expressions referring to Cato or his sayings”
Late Antiquity–Medieval Period
Latin
Disticha Catonis
“The Distichs of Cato, a widely circulated collection of moral couplets attributed to Cato”
16th–17th Century
English
Catonism
“A maxim or moral precept attributed to Cato”
Modern English
English
Catonism
“A Cato-like moral maxim or austere principle”