ĭn-ŏpĭa, ae, f. [inops], want, lack, scarcity.
I In gen.: argenti, Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 55: summa rerum omnium, Caes. B. G. 5, 2: frumenti commeatusque, id. ib. 3, 6: frumenti, Sall. J. 91, 1; cf.: frumentaria, Caes. B. G. 5, 24: et amore pereo et inopia argentaria, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 66: loci, Liv. 1, 33, 6: advocatorum, Tac. A. 11, 7: consilii, Cic. Att. 6, 3, 2: criminum, id. Rosc. Am. 16, 48: occasionis, Suet. Cal. 56: remedii, Tac. A. 13, 57: veri, id. H. 1, 35 al.—
II In partic., a want , esp. of necessaries , want , need , indigence , scarcity , fewness.
A Lit.: opem ferre inopiae, i. e. to one in want , Plaut. Rud. 3, 2, 3: Quor (me) conducebas? Bal. Inopia; alius non erat, id. Ps. 3, 2, 9: ne inopiam cives objectare possint tibi, id. Trin. 3, 2, 27: si propter inopiam in egestate estis, Cic. Inv. 1, 47, 88: utrum propter imbecillitatem atque inopiam desiderata sit amicitia, id. Lael. 8, 26; cf.: amicitiam ex inopia atque egestate natam volunt, id. ib. 9, 29; so also with egestas, id. Cat. 2, 11, 24: in Rhodiorum inopia et fame summaque annonae caritate, id. Off. 3, 12, 50: inopiae subsidium, Caes. B. C. 1, 48: inopiam vitare, id. ib. 3, 17: ad pudendam inopiam delabi, Tac. A. 2, 38: inopiam alicui facere, to bring one to want , id. H. 3, 48: manuum mercede inopiam tolerare, Sall. C. 38, 7: multorum dierum inopia contrahere pestem, Just. 2, 13, 12: dispensatio inopiae, of scanty supplies , Liv. 4, 12, 10.—
B Transf.
1 Want , helplessness : praesidio esse contra vim et gratiam solitudini atque inopiae, to those who have no protectors , Cic. Quint. 1, 5: in hac causa improbitatem et gratiam cum inopia et veritate contendere, id. ib. 27, 84; id. Rosc. Am. 7, 20; id. Clu. 20, 57: judicum, worthlessness , id. Att. 1, 16, 2: ingenti cum difficultate itinerum locorumque inopia, and the want of necessaries in these regions , Vell. 2, 54, 3; Sen. ad Helv. 12.—
2 Of a speaker: inopia et jejunitas, poverty of ideas , Cic. Brut. 55, 202.—
3 Of the want of fruition : incendere animum cupidum alicujus inopiā, Ter. Heaut. 367.