Meanings
- uncountableA team competition in which contestants answer questions about classical history, culture, and mythology, and the Latin language.
There's the “certamen” or contest, similar, Mrs. Nicholls said, to a television quiz show. Students compete against other schools in mythology, history and trivia. Anyone can enter - all they have to know is some Latin.
1988 February 21, Tessa Melvin, “A Latin revival takes the stage at John Jay High School”, in The New York Times, →ISSN1 more example
It was the semifinal round of Certamen, Latin for contest, the Junior Classical League's answer to “It's Academic.” Two teams of four-each sat across from a judge, and pressed buzzers that lighted up a bulb showing which team responded first.
1983 August 12, Susan Chira, Special To the New York Times, “A Roman Holiday Upstate”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Origin
- Latincertō
- Latincertāmen
- Englishcertamen
Borrowed from Latin certāmen (“contest”). Ultimately from Latin certus (“certain, fixed, settled, firm”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
certamen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/certamen
“certamen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/certamen. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “certamen,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/certamen.
Source: certamen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.