Ciceronianism

/ˌsɪsəˈroʊniəˌnɪzəm/ noun

Definition

A movement or practice of imitating the style, language, and methods of the Roman orator Cicero, especially in Latin writing and speaking.

Etymology

From Ciceronian plus the suffix -ism, meaning 'a practice, system, or ideology.' The movement flourished particularly during the Renaissance and Early Modern period when classical learning was revived.

Kelly Says

Ciceronianism created a funny problem in the 1500s-1600s: if a word didn't exist in Cicero's writings, some die-hard Ciceronians refused to use it, which meant debating whether new ideas could even be discussed in proper Latin!

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