ŏpīnĭo, ōnis, f. [opinor], opinion, supposition, conjecture, imagination, fancy, belief (class.).
I In gen.: apud homines barbaros opinio plus valet saepe, quam res ipsa, Cic. Fragm. Scaur. 7: est ergo aegritudo opinio recens mali praesentis ... laetitia opinio recens boni praesentis ... metus opinio impendentis mali ... lubido opinio venturi boni, etc., id. Tusc. 4, 7, 14; cf. id. ib. 4, 11, 26: magna nobis pueris opinio fuit, L. Crassum non plus attigisse doctrinae, quam, id. de Or. 2, 1, 1: ut opinio mea est, as I suppose , as I believe , id. Fam. 9, 11, 1: ut opinio mea fert, as I believe , id. Font. 13, 39: mea fert opinio, ut, etc., Dig. 24, 1, 32: cujus opinionis etiam Cornelius Celsus est, Celsus also is of this opinion , Col. 2, 12, 6: Romulus habuit opinionem esse, etc., held the belief that , Cic. Div. 2, 33, 70: fuisse in illa populari opinione, to be of an opinion , id. Clu. 51, 142.—More rarely: alicujus opinionis esse, Col. 2, 12, 6: in eādem opinione fui ... te venturum esse, Cic. Att. 8, 11, D, 3: in quā me opinione sine causā esse, ne quis credat, Liv. 44, 38, 4: fuerunt in hac opinione non pauci, ut, etc., Quint. 3, 3, 11; cf. id. 4, 1, 28: cum etiam philosophi Stoicae disciplinae in eādem sint opinione, ut censeant, etc., Lact. 2, 5, 7; 3, 8, 32: cui opinioni nos quoque accedimus, Quint. 2, 15, 29: ipse eorum opinionibus accedo, qui, etc., Tac. G. 4: adducere aliquem in eam opinionem, ut, to make one believe , Cic. Caecin. 5, 13: Pisidae in opinionem adducuntur perfugas fecisse, ut, etc., Nep. Dat. 6, 6: praebere opinionem timoris, to convey the impression , occasion the belief that one is afraid , Caes. B. G. 3, 17: afferre alicui, Cic. Off. 2, 13, 46: incidere in opinionem, to fall into the belief , Dolab. ap. Cic. Fam. 9, 9, 1: in opinionem discedere, to come to the opinion , Cic. Fam. 6, 14, 2: opinione duci, to be led by one's belief , id. Mur. 30, 62: contra (praeter) opinionem, contrary to one's expectation : dicere contra opiniones omnium, id. Rosc. Am. 15, 45: etsi praeter opinionem res ceciderat, Nep. Milt. 2, 5.—With comp. : opinione citius, quicker than had been supposed , Varr. ap. Non. 356, 27: istuc curavi, ut opinione illius pulcrior sis, handsomer than he imagines , Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 23: opinione melius res tibi habet tua, si, etc., id. Cas. 2, 5, 30: opinione celerius, Cic. Fam. 14, 23.—
II In partic.
A The repute of a man, the esteem , reputation in which others hold him, the opinion , estimate , expectation formed of him.
a In gen.: opinione fortasse nonnullā, quam de meis moribus habebat, Cic. Lael. 9, 30: integritatis meae, id. Att. 7, 2, 5: non fallam opinionem tuam, id. Fam. 1, 6, 2: genus scriptorum tuorum vicit opinionem meam, exceeded my expectation , id. ib. 5, 12, 1: venit in eam opinionem Cassius, ipsum finxisse bellum, Cassius fell under suspicion of having , was believed to have , Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 10, 2: summam habere justitiae opinionem. Caes. B. G. 6, 24; 7, 59: quorum de justitiā magna esset opinio multitudinis, Cic. Off. 2, 12, 42: (Porus) bellum jampridem, auditā Alexandri opinione, in adventum ejus parabat, Just. 12, 8, 2.—
b Absol. , reputation : ne opinio quidem et fama, cui soli serviunt (poëtae), etc., Tac. Dial. 10 init. : cupidi opinionis, Quint. 12, 9, 4: affert et ista res opinionem, id. 2, 12, 5.—
c Bad repute , reputation for evil: malignitatis opinionem vereri, Tac. Dial. 15: invidiae et ingrati animi, Liv. 45, 38, 6.—
B A report , rumor : divulgatā opinione tam gloriosae expeditionis, Just. 42, 2, 11: quae opinio erat edita in vulgus, Caes. B. C. 3, 29, 3: exiit opinio, proximo lustro descensurum eum ad Olympia, Suet. Ner. 53: opinio etiam sine auctore exierat, eos conspirasse, etc., Liv. 3, 36, 9: opinionem serere, to spread a report , Just. 8, 3, 8: opiniones bellorum, Vulg. Matt. 24, 6; id. Marc. 13, 7.