in Roman antiquity, an assembly of the people, either in the comitium or campus martius, for the election of magistrates, or consulting on the important affairs of the republic.

There were certain days fixed for these assemblies, called dies comitiales, marked with a C in Julius Caesar's calendar.

There were three kinds of comitia, viz. curiata, centuriata, and tributa, so distinguished from the manner wherein the people voted, and gave their suffrages, viz. by curiae, or parishes, tribes, or centuries. The comitia curiata, owe their original to the division which Romulus made of the people into thirty curiae, which answer in most respects to our parishes. The comitia centuriata were instituted by Servius Tullius. Comitial assemblies held for the election of consuls, were called consular comitia. In like manner the other comitia were named from the officer to be created, whether a tribune, pontif, edile, or the like. The power of calling these assemblies, belonged at first only to the kings: but on the establishment of the democracy, the same privilege was allowed to most of the chief magistrates, and sometimes to the pontiff.