Lat. In the Roman law. Any body of people living under the same laws; a state. Jus civitatis, the law of a state; civil law. Inst 1, 2, 1, 2. Civitates federatas, towns In alliance with Rome, and considered to be free. Butl. Hor. Jur. 29. Citizenship; one of the three status, conditions, or qualifications of persons. Mackeld. Rom. Law, 131. Civitas et urbs in hoc different, quod incolae dicuntur civitas, urbs vero complectitur aedificia. Co. Litt 409. A city and a town differ, in this: that the inhabitants are called the “city,” but town includes the buildings.