Lewis & Short

ōtĭōsus, a, um, adj. [otium], at leisure, unoccupied, disengaged, unemployed, idle (class.; cf. feriatus, immunis; opp. negotiosus).

  1. I. Of persons.
    1. A. In gen.: nimis otiosum te arbitror hominem esse, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 34; 40: quamvis etiam maneo otiosus hic, Ter. Ad. 2, 4, 15: cum essem otiosus domi, Cic. Brut. 3, 10: rebus humanis aliquos otiosos deos praeficere, id. N. D. 3, 39, 93.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Without official employment, free from public affairs: quo in studio hominum quoque ingeniosissimorum otiosissimorumque totas aetates videmus esse contritas, Cic. de Or. 1, 51, 219: quem locum nos otiosi convertimus, in an interval of leisure, id. Div. 2, 30, 63: Graeculum se atque otiosum putari maluit, id. Sest. 51, 110: numquam se minus otiosum esse, quam cum otiosus, that he was never less at leisure than when free from official business, Cato ap. Cic. Off. 3, 1, 1: cum a te tua promissa flagitabam, ad urbem te otiosissimum esse arbitrabar, Cic. Fam. 3, 11, 3: cum otiosus stilum prehenderat, id. Brut. 24, 93.
      2. 2. With respect to participation, quiet, unconcerned, indifferent, neutral: spectatores otiosi Leuctricae calamitatis, Cic. Off. 2, 7, 26: quidam enim non modo armatis, sed etiam otiosis minabantur, id. Marcell. 6, 18.
      3. 3. Without excitement, quiet, passionless, calm, tranquil: etiam istos, quibus odio est otium, quietissimos atque otiosissimos reddam, Cic. Agr. 2, 37, 102: vide ut otiosus it, Ter. Eun. 5, 3, 10; Cic. Fam. 9, 25, 3.
      4. 4. Of style, tedious, dull: (Cicero) lentus est in principiis, longus in narrationibus, otiosus circa excessus, Tac. Or. 22.
      5. 5. That has leisure for any thing; with gen.: studiorum otiosi, Plin. H. N. praef. § 6.
        Hence,
    3. C. Subst.: ōtĭōsus, i, m., a private person, one not in official life: et facilior et tutior vita est otiosorum, Cic. Off. 1, 21, 70: otioso vero et nihil agenti privato, … quando imperium senatus dedit? id. Phil. 11, 8, 20.
      1. 2. Non-combatants, civilians: crudeliter enim otiosis minabantur, Cic. Fam. 9, 6, 3 (B. and K. otiosissimi): militare nomen grave inter otiosos, Tac. Agr. 40.
  2. II. Of inanim. and abstr. things, at leisure, free, idle, unemployed: otioso in otio animus nescit, quid velit, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 256 Vahl.): ego, cui fuerit ne otium quidem umquam otiosum, Cic. Planc. 27, 66: pecuniae, idle, unemployed (opp. occupatus), Plin. Ep. 10, 62, 1: senectus, Cic. Sen. 14, 49: his supplicationum otiosis diebus, id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 3: quid quiete otiosius animi, Sen. Ira, 2, 13, 4.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Idle, useless, unprofitable, superfluous (cf.: ignavus, iners, desidiosus): sententiae, Quint. 1, 1, 35: sermo, id. 8, 2, 19: otiosissimae occupationes, Plin. Ep. 9, 6, 4; so, otiosum est persequi singula, Lact. 2, 4, 28; cf. Min. Fel. 23, 1.
      2. 2. Quiet, free from any thing; with ab: animo nunc jam otioso esse impero, Ter. And. 5, 2, 1: ab animo, id. Phorm. 2, 2, 26: a metu, Gell. 2, 29, 9: quid est animi quiete otiosius, Sen. Ira, 2, 13, 2.
      3. 3. With a quiet or gentle motion, quiet, gentle: fons vel rivus huc conveniat otiosus, flowing quietly, gently, Pall. 1, 37, 3.
        Hence, adv.: ōtĭōsē.
    1. A. Lit., at leisure, at ease, without occupation: vivere, Cic. Off. 3, 26, 97: inambulare in foro, Liv. 23, 7 fin.: sequi, Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 8: ire, id. Ep. 5, 1, 21: magnast res, quam ego tecum otiose, si otiumst, cupio loqui, id. Aul. 4, 10, 41.
    2. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Calmly, quietly, without haste, gently, gradually: ambula ergo cito. Sy. Immo otiose, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 14; cf. id. Truc. 1, 2, 66 (opp. to properare): bene et otiose percoquere, Cato, R. R. 76 fin.: contemplari unumquodque otiose et considerare coepit, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 15, § 33: quaerere, id. Fin. 4, 13, 22: segniter, otiose, neglegenter, contumaciter omnia agere, Liv. 2, 57.
      2. 2. Free from fear, quietly, fearlessly: ademptum tibi jam faxo omnem metum, in aurem utramvis otiose ut dormias, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 100.