nōbĭlĭtas, ātis, f. [nobilis].
I Celebrity, fame, renown (very rare): eam nobilitatem amittundam video, Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 14: praedicationem nobilitatemque despicere, Cic. Arch. 11, 26: repentina, Liv. 1, 34; cf.: aliquem nobilitate praecurrere, Nep. Thras. 1, 3.—
II High or noble birth, nobility : ad illustrandam nobilitatem suam, Cic. Brut. 16, 62: nobilitate sui municipii facile primus, id. Rosc. Am. 6, 15; Ov. P. 4, 16, 44; Juv. 8, 20.—
B Meton., the nobility, the nobles, the aristocracy : nobilitatis fautor, Cic. Rosc. Am. 6, 16: omnis noster nobilitas interiit, Caes. B. G. 7, 38: nobilitas rempublicam deseruerat, Liv. 26, 12; opp. plebs, id. 6, 42: superbia commune nobilitatis malum, Sall. J. 64, 1; Luc. 3, 77.—With verb in plur.: namque coepere nobilitas dignitatem in dominationem vertere, Sall. J. 41, 5. —
β Plur. : Claudius nobilitatibus externis mitis, princes , Tac. A. 12, 20.—
III Noble or excellent quality, nobleness, excellence, superiority : cum florere Isocratem nobilitate discipulorum videret, Cic. de Or. 3, 35, 141: eloquio tantum nobilitatis inest, Ov. P. 2, 5, 56; Vell. 1, 4, 2: nobilitate ingenitā, Tac. A. 1, 29: prima croco Cilicio, Plin. 21, 6, 17, § 31: locorum, id. 3, 5, 6, § 40: columbarum, id. 10, 37, 53, § 110: obstetricum nobilitas (i. e. nobilissimae obstetrices), id. 28, 6, 18, § 67.—Prov.: nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus, Juv. 8, 20.