sērĭus, a, um, adj. [perh. for sevrius; root sev-, severus; Gr. σέβας, σεμνός],
I grave , earnest , serious , opp. to sportive, jocular (class. only of things; severus, both of persons and things): res (opp. jocosae), Cic. Off. 1, 37, 134: sermo (opp. jocus), Auct. Her. 3, 14, 25: non res potissimum seria, sed quasi ludus ac jocus, Lact. 2, 18, 3: graves seriaeque res, Cic. Off. 1, 29, 103; so, res serias omnis extollo in alium diem, Plaut. Poen. 2, 51: ait rem seriam Velle agere mecum, Ter. Eun. 513; Liv. 23, 7 fin. : dies religiosus ad agendum quicquam rei seriae, id. 26, 17 al.: verba, Tib. 3, 6, 52; cf. Hor. A. P. 107: quaestiones, Suet. Calig. 32: carmina, Plin. Pan. 54, 2: curae, id. ib. 82 fin. : partes dierum, id. ib. 49 fin. : tempus, id. Ep. 4, 25, 3 et saep.: opinor hercle hodie quod ego dixi per jocum, Id eventurum esse et severum et serium, Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 51: si aliquid serium, etc., Quint. 6, 3, 16: nec quicquam grave ac serium, Tac. A. 3, 50 fin. —With sup. : verba seria dictu, Hor. A. P. 107.—As subst.: sērĭum , i, and more freq. sērĭa , ōrum, n., earnestness , seriousness; serious matters or discourse (often opp. jocus); sing.: si quid per jocum Dixi, nolito in serium convortere, Plaut. Poen. 5, 5, 42: itaque res in serium versa est, Curt. 5, 7, 10: nihil ad serium, Tac. A. 6, 14.— Plur. : quīcum joca, seria, ut dicitur, Cic. Fin. 2, 26, 85: joca atque seria cum humillimis agere, Sall. J. 96, 2: cum his seria ac jocos celebrare, Liv. 1, 4 fin. : per seria per jocos, Tac. A. 2, 13: sed tamen amoto quaeramus seria ludo, Hor. S. 1, 1, 27; 2, 2, 125; id. A. P. 226; Ov. F. 5, 341 al.: mala, Hor. A. P. 451: mea (opp. lusus), Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 31: (Marsus) seria partitur in tria genera, Quint. 6, 3, 108: ille seria nostra, ille deliciae, Plin. Ep. 8, 1, 2.—Of persons, for severus (ante- and post-class.): non ego te novi tristem servum, serium? Afran. ap. Non. 33, 33: amicos serios aspernatur, Ap. Mag. 98, p. 336, 9: Solon, id. ib. 9, p. 278 fin. ; Amm. 26, 2, 2; 29, 6, 1; Treb. Claud. 12, 5; Mam. Grat. Act. 12, 2; Quint. Decl. 15, 3.—Hence, adv. in two forms.
A sērĭō , in earnest , seriously (mostly anteclass.; a favorite word of Plaut.; not in Cic. or Caes.): nec joco nec serio, Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 25: si quid dictum est per jocum, Non aequom est id te serio praevortier, id. ib. 3, 2, 40: an id joco dixisti? equidem serio ac vero ratus, id. ib. 3, 3, 9; so (opp. joco) id. Bacch. 1, 1, 42; Ter. Heaut. 541; Liv. 7, 41, 3: vereor serio, Naev. ap. Charis. p. 195; Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 225; id. Cas. 4, 2, 11; id. Ep. 1, 1, 29; id. Merc. 4, 1, 19; id. Ps. 1, 3, 106; 4, 7, 94; id. Poen. 1, 1, 32; 1, 3, 26; 1, 3, 29; id. Rud. 2, 5, 11; 4, 4, 1; id. Truc. 2, 2, 47; 2, 5, 29; Ter. Eun. 393; 528; id. Ad. 975; Liv. 4, 25 fin. ; Quint. 1, 2, 1; 9, 2, 14; Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 10.—
B sērĭē , in earnest , seriously : (post-class.) vultu serie pulcro, Aur. Vict. Epit. 15.