praecipio

Latin

Etymology

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [prae̯ˈkɪ.pi.oː]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [preˈt͡ʃiː.pi.o]

Verb

praecipiō (present infinitive praecipere, perfect active praecēpī, supine praeceptum); third conjugation iō-variant

to take or seize beforehand, in advance
to anticipate
Synonyms: anteeō, occupō
to enjoin, direct, order, command
Synonyms: imperō, praescrībō, ēdīcō, mandō, iniungō, dictō, iubeō, indīcō, pōnō
- 106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, De Republica 3.24:
  iustitia autem praecipit parcere omnibus
  However, justice commands us to be lenient to all
- 44 BCE, Cicero, Laelius de Amicitia 60:
  illud potius praecipiendum fuit, ut eam diligentiam adhiberemus in amicitiis comparandis
  It was commanded that we shall use diligence in the making of friends
- c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 5.58:
  praecipit atque interdicit, proterritis hostibus atque in fugam coniectis (quod fore, sicut accidit, videbat) unum omnes peterent Indutiomarum
  He ordered and instructed that, when the enemies were terrified and thrown into flight, (which he foresaw would occur as it did) everyone must search for Indutiomarus
to teach, instruct, advise, inform, warn
Synonyms: admoneō, moneō, condicō, praedīcō, dēlīberō
- c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca the Younger, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 1.1.4:
  Interrogābis fortasse quid ego faciam quī tibi ista praecipiō.
  You will ask, perhaps, what I will do, [since it is] I who am giving you this advice.

Usage notes

Used with the accusative (cf. Georges 1913). It can be used with either the infinitive, the subjunctive with ut or nē, or with the subjunctive alone.

Conjugation

Conjugation of praecipiō (third conjugation iō-variant)

indicative		singular				plural
indicative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	praecipiō	praecipis		praecipit	praecipimus	praecipitis		praecipiunt
	imperfect	praecipiēbam	praecipiēbās		praecipiēbat	praecipiēbāmus	praecipiēbātis		praecipiēbant
	future	praecipiam	praecipiēs		praecipiet	praecipiēmus	praecipiētis		praecipient
	perfect	praecēpī	praecēpistī		praecēpit	praecēpimus	praecēpistis		praecēpērunt, praecēpēre
	pluperfect	praecēperam	praecēperās		praecēperat	praecēperāmus	praecēperātis		praecēperant
	future perfect	praecēperō	praecēperis		praecēperit	praecēperimus	praecēperitis		praecēperint
passive	present	praecipior	praeciperis, praecipere		praecipitur	praecipimur	praecipiminī		praecipiuntur
	imperfect	praecipiēbar	praecipiēbāris, praecipiēbāre		praecipiēbātur	praecipiēbāmur	praecipiēbāminī		praecipiēbantur
	future	praecipiar	praecipiēris, praecipiēre		praecipiētur	praecipiēmur	praecipiēminī		praecipientur
	perfect	praeceptus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	praeceptus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	praeceptus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular				plural
subjunctive		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	praecipiam	praecipiās		praecipiat	praecipiāmus	praecipiātis		praecipiant
	imperfect	praeciperem	praeciperēs		praeciperet	praeciperēmus	praeciperētis		praeciperent
	perfect	praecēperim	praecēperīs		praecēperit	praecēperīmus	praecēperītis		praecēperint
	pluperfect	praecēpissem	praecēpissēs		praecēpisset	praecēpissēmus	praecēpissētis		praecēpissent
passive	present	praecipiar	praecipiāris, praecipiāre		praecipiātur	praecipiāmur	praecipiāminī		praecipiantur
	imperfect	praeciperer	praeciperēris, praeciperēre		praeciperētur	praeciperēmur	praeciperēminī		praeciperentur
	perfect	praeceptus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	praeceptus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular				plural
imperative		first	second		third	first	second		third
active	present	—	praecipe		—	—	praecipite		—
active	future	—	praecipitō		praecipitō	—	praecipitōte		praecipiuntō
passive	present	—	praecipere		—	—	praecipiminī		—
passive	future	—	praecipitor		praecipitor	—	—		praecipiuntor
non-finite forms		infinitive				participle
non-finite forms		active		passive		active		passive
present		praecipere		praecipī		praecipiēns		—
future		praeceptūrum esse		praeceptum īrī		praeceptūrus		praecipiendus, praecipiundus
perfect		praecēpisse		praeceptum esse		—		praeceptus
future perfect		—		praeceptum fore		—		—
perfect potential		praeceptūrum fuisse		—		—		—
verbal nouns		gerund					supine
		genitive	dative		accusative	ablative	accusative		ablative
		praecipiendī	praecipiendō		praecipiendum	praecipiendō	praeceptum		praeceptū

Derived terms

References

“praecipio”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“praecipio”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
praecipio in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
- to form a conception of a thing beforehand: animo, cogitatione aliquid praecipere (Off 1. 23. 81)
- to inculcate good (bad) principles: bene (male) praecipere alicui
- that Greek proverb contains an excellent lesson: bene illo Graecorum proverbio praecipitur
- to give moral advice, rules of conduct: de virtute praecipere alicui
- to consider oneself already victor: victoriam praecipere (animo) (Liv. 10. 26)