ē-grĕgĭus, a, um (sup.: mulier egregiissimă formă, Pac. ap. Prisc. 3, p. 600 fin. P.; Rib. Fragm. Trag. p. 105: egregiissime grammatice, Gell. 14, 5, 3.—Vocat.: egregi or egregie, Gell. 14, 5, 1 sq.), adj. [ex-grex, Corss. Ausspr. 1, 504; hence, chosen from the herd, i. e.], distinguished, surpassing, excellent, eminent (for syn. cf.: praeclarus, eximius, divinus, magnificus).
I In gen. (class.): in procuratione civitatis, egregius, Cic. de Or. 1, 49, 215; cf.: in bellica laude, id. Brut. 21, 84: in aliis artibus, Sall. J. 82, 2: vir, Cic. Lael. 19, 69: civis, id. Brut. 25, 95: poëta, id. de Or. 1, 3, 11: senatus, Liv. 2, 49: par consulum, id. 27, 34: Caesar, Hor. C. 1, 6, 11; 3, 25, 4 et saep.: et praeclara indoles ad dicendum, Cic. de Or. 1, 29; cf. id. Phil. 1, 1, 2; Tac. Or. 9: forma, Ter. And. 72; cf. facies, id. Phorm. 100: colores, odores, Lucr. 5, 739; Cic. Fin. 2, 20, 64: corpus, i. e. exceedingly beautiful , Hor. S. 1, 6, 67; Ov. Tr. 5, 13, 14: os, id. H. 4, 78 et saep.: virtus, Caes. B. G. 1, 28, 5: fides, id. ib. 1, 19, 2: voluntas in se, id. ib. 5, 4, 3: victoria, Liv. 2, 47 et saep.: vir bello egregius, Liv. 5, 47; cf. id. 7, 6; Tac. Agr. 14; Ov. M. 5, 49.—With gen.: animi, Verg. A. 11, 417; so, fati mentisque Stat. Th. 3, 99: linguae, Sil. 5, 77: egregii juvenum, Stat. Th. 2, 152.—In the neutr. subst. : ut alia magna et egregia tua omittam, Sall. J. 10, 2: postquam cuncta scelerum suorum pro egregiis accipi videt, for distinguished acts , Tac. A. 14, 60; cf. the foll.—
II Post - Aug., esp. of rank and consequence, distinguished , illustrious , honorable : si te privatus adoptarem, et mihi egregium erat Gnaei Pompeii subolem in penates meos asciscere, et, etc., Tac. H. 1, 15; cf.: idque et sibi et cunctis egregium, id. A. 3, 6.—Subst.: ēgrĕgĭum , ii, n.: egregium publicum, the public honor , Tac. A. 3, 70 fin.
III —Hence, Egrĕgĭus , ii, m., a title of public officers in high station , similar to His Excellency , Cod. Th. 6, 22, 1; and: Vir Egregius, Inscr. Grut. 89, 4; 345, 3 et saep.; cf. Lact. 5, 14 fin. —Hence, adv.: ēgrĕgĭe , excellently , eminently; surpassingly , exceedingly , singularly; uncommonly well (cf.: eximie, unice, praesertim; praecipue, maxime, potissimum, etc.).
α With verbs : studere (opp. mediocriter), Ter. And. 58: pingere, fingere, Cic. Brut. 73 fin. : loqui, id. Fin. 2, 6 fin. : vincere, brilliantly , Liv. 21, 40; cf. absolvi, id. 9, 26 et saep.—Far more freq.,
β With adjectives : egregie cordatus homo, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 1, 18 (Ann. v. 335 ed. Vahl.): fortis et bonus imperator, Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 268: subtilis scriptor, id. Brut. 9: munitum oppidum, Caes. B. G. 2, 29, 2; cf. id. ib. 5, 9, 4; 5, 11, 7 et saep.—
γ Absol. , as an expression of assent, applause, etc.: egregie, Caesar, quod lacrimas parentum vectigales esse non pateris, Plin. Pan. 38, 3; cf. Suet. Vit. 10.— Comp. : egregius cenat, Juv. 11, 12.