Gens

Quick meaning: Gens is a noun meaning (anthropology) A tribal subgroup whose members are characterized by having the same descent, usually along the male line; clan.

Meaning

(anthropology) A tribal subgroup whose members are characterized by having the same descent, usually along the male line; clan.

More Meanings

1. (zoology) A host-specific lineage of a brood parasite species.^([W])
2. plural of gen (clipping of generation).
3. (Ancient Rome, historical) A legally defined unit of Roman society, being a collection of people related through a common ancestor by birth, marriage or adoption, possibly over many generations, and sharing the same nomen gentilicium.

Example Sentences

Caius Julius Caesar belonged to the gens Julius, his father's name was Caesar, and his own individual name (praenomen) was Caius. Women were given the clan name as their own; Caesar's sister was called Julia, and a younger sister would have been called Julia Minor.

For my fellow first-gens, get ready to hide a smirk, because your life story is likely hidden somewhere in this chapter. For the uninitiated—that is, the person who's never had a thing to do with the Arab way of doing things (namely dating)—I advise you to buckle up.

The Family Values and Framing Strategy steps address soft issues as what is the purpose of the new investment strategy, is there a desire to engage and train the next generation (Next Gens), and is there building buy-in and engagement across the family members important to strengthen family unity.

The Kamilaroi are divided into six gentes, standing with reference to the right of marriage, in two divisions, […] Originally the first three gentes were not allowed to intermarry with each other, because they were subdivisions of an original gens; but they were permitted to marry into either of the other gentes, and vice versâ.

Word Forms

• gentes
• genses

Synonyms for gens

Depending on context, synonyms include clan, tribe, name.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include name, clan, folks, people, cornelian, individuals.

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