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* mĕdĭō̆crĭcŭlus, a, um, adj. dim. [mediocris], rather middling: exercitus, Cato ap. Fest. p. 154, and Paul. ex Fest. p. 155 Müll.

mĕdĭō̆cris, e (ō usually; rarely ŏ), adj. [medius], in a middle state between too much and too little, middling, moderate, tolerable, ordinary; sometimes also, not remarkable, indifferent, mediocre.

  1. I. In gen. (class.).
    1. A. Lit., of size, quantity, degree, etc., in material things: castellum, Sall. J. 92, 5: spatium, Caes. B. G. 5, 43: agmen, Hirt. B. G. 8, 9: intervallum, id. B. Alex. 30.
    2. B. Of mind, character, ability, acts, achievements, etc.: C. L. Memmii fuerunt oratores mediocres, Cic. Brut. 36, 136: L. Cotta in mediocrium oratorum numero, id. ib. 36, 137: non mediocres viri, sed maximi et docti, id. Rep. 3, 11, 19: homines, id. de Or. 1, 21, 94: vir, Just. 1, 4, 4: poëta, Hor. A. P. 372: in mediocribus vel studiis vel officiis, Cic. Rep. 1, 3, 4: amicitia, id. Lael. 6, 10: malum, id. Tusc. 3, 10, 22: artes, id. de Or. 1, 2, 6: eloquentia, id. ib. 1, 29, 133: ingenium, id. ib. 2, 27, 119: excusaremediocris est animi, narrow, small, Caes. B. C. 3, 20: ut mediocris jacturae te mergat onus, Juv. 13, 7.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. Per litoten, with non (haud, nec), not insignificant, not common or trivial: Jugurthae non mediocrem animum pollicitando accendebant, i. e. ardent, ambitious, Sall. J. 8, 1: non mediocris hominis haec sunt officia, Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 9: haud mediocris hic, ut ego quidem intellego, vir fuit, Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 55: nec mediocre telum ad res gerendas, id. Lael. 17, 61: non mediocrem sibi diligentiam adhibendam intellegebat, uncommon, extraordinary, Caes. B. G. 3, 20: praemium non mediocre, Suet. Vesp. 18: non mediocris dissensio, Quint. 9, 1, 10 et saep.
    2. * B. With syllaba, common = anceps: syllabarum longarum et brevium et mediocrium junctura, Gell. 16, 18, 5.
      Hence, adv.: mĕdĭō̆crĭ-ter.
      1. 1. Moderately, tolerably, ordinarily, not particularly, not very, not remarkably, not much (class.): ordo annalium mediocriter nos retinet, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 5: corpus mediocriter aegrum, id. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.
          1. (β) By litotes, with haud, ne, non (cf.: supra, mediocris, II. A.): flagitium, et damnum haud mediocriter, Plaut. Merc. 2, 1, 13: non mediocriter, in no moderate degree, Caes. B. G. 1, 39: reprehensus est non mediocriter, i. e. greatly, exceedingly, very much, Quint. 11, 1, 17; so id. 8, 2, 2; 9; 11, 1, 57 al.
          2. (γ) Very little: ne mediocriter quidem disertus, not in the least, Cic. de Or. 1, 20, 91.
      2. 2. With moderation, calmly, tranquilly = modice (rare, and perh. only in Cic.): quod mihi non mediocriter ferendum videtur, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 41, § 95.
        Comp.: hoc vellem mediocrius, Cic. Att. 1, 20, 5.

mĕdĭō̆crĭtas, ātis, f. [mediocris].

  1. I. A middle state, a medium, mean; moderateness, moderation (class.): mediocritatem illam tenere, quae est inter nimium et parum, Cic. Off. 1, 25, 89; 1, 39, 140: in dicendo, mediocrity, id. de Or. 1, 25, 117: dicendi, id. Brut. 66, 235: vultus, i. e. a medium between excessive gayety and over-seriousness, Auct. Her. 3, 15, 26: auream quisquis mediocritatem Diligit, Hor. C. 2, 10, 5.
    Of style: cum omnis virtus sit mediocritas, Cic. Brut. 40, 149: mediocritatis (exemplum esse) Terentium, Varr. ap. Gell. 6, 14, 6.
    In plur.: mediocritates illi probabant, moderate passions, Cic. Ac. 2, 44, 135: mediocritates vel perturbationum vel morborum animi, id. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.
  2. II. Meanness, insignificance, littleness, inferiority (rare but class.): hominum, Vell. 2, 130, 3: quod meae mediocritati conveniret, my insignificance, Gell. 14, 2, 25; cf.: mediocritas nostra, my modest self, Vell. 2, 111, 3: ingenii, Cic. Phil. 2, 1, 2: memoriae, Quint. 11, 2, 39.

mĕdĭō̆crĭter, adv., v. mediocris fin.