labefactans

Definitiones

1. weakening, causing to weaken
   active, declension-3, form-of, one-termination, participle, present
2. destroying
   active, declension-3, form-of, one-termination, participle, present

Aequivalentia

Exempla

“An vērō vir amplissimus, P. Scīpiō, pontifex maximus, Ti. Gracchum mediocriter labefactantem statum reī pūblicae prīvātus interfēcit.”

But in fact that most illustrious man, Publius Scipio, the chief priest, [who was acting] as a private citizen, killed Tiberius Gracchus, [who had been] moderately weakening the state of the republic. (Cicero’s deliberate understatement in reference to an historic political upheaval would have stirred the blood of his senatorial audience. See: Tiberius Gracchus.)

Gradus CEFR