dēmĭnūtĭo, ōnis, f. [deminuo],
I a diminution, decrease, lessening, abatement (good prose).
I Lit.: accretio et deminutio luminis, Cic. Tusc. 1, 28: civium, id. Cat. 3, 10, 24: vectigalium, id. Agr. 1, 7, 21: de bonis privatorum, id. Off. 2, 21, 73; cf.: tanta de imperio, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 4: multari imperatorem deminutione provinciae, i. e. by shortening his term of command , Cic. Prov. Cons. 15 fin. —
II Trop.
A In gen.: alicujus libertatis, Cic. Agr. 2, 7: muliebre fastigium in deminutionem sui accipiens (sui, i. e. his own dignity ), Tac. A. 1, 14: mentis, a being out of one's senses (shortly before, alienata mens), Suet. Aug. 99 fin. : honor aut deminutio, i. e. dishonor , Plin. 34, 13, 38, § 137.—
B Esp. (legal t. t.), the right of alienation of one's estate: uti Feceniae Hispalae datio deminutio esset, Liv. 39, 19, 5 (Weissenb. ad loc.).—
C Public. t. t.: capitis deminutio, the loss or forfeiture of civil rights , Caes. B. C. 2, 32, 9; Gai. Inst. 1, 160 sq.; Dig. 28, 3, 6, § 6; 25, 3, 7, § 1; Ulp. Reg. 10, 3; cf. Dig. 38, 17, 1: Poste Gai. p. 108; Sandars, Just. Inst. Introd. 40 sq.; v. Caput, III. 1. b. —
D In grammat. lang., a diminutive form , Quint. 1, 6, 6; cf. ib. 4; Charis. p. 73 P.; 128 P. et saep.