censeo

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *kensēō, from earlier *kensējō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenséh₁-ye-ti, from *ḱens- (“to announce”). Cognate with Sanskrit शंसति (śáṃsati, “to declare”), Proto-Iranian *cánhati.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈken.se.oː/, [ˈkẽːs̠eoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃen.se.o/, [ˈt͡ʃɛnseo]

Verb

cēnseō (present infinitive cēnsēre, perfect active cēnsuī, supine cēnsum); second conjugation

1. to give an opinion
2. to think, suppose or judge

   Synonyms: credo, reor, opinor, iūdicō, sentio, existimo, cogito, considero, arbitror, puto, reputo

3. to recommend, advise

   Synonyms: suādeō, commendō, conciliō, dēlīberō, moneō, admoneō, praedicō

   • Cato the Elder :

     Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam

     Furthermore, I recommend that Carthage must be destroyed

4. to decree, vote or determine

   Synonym: cōnscīscō

5. to count or reckon, assess
6. to register the citizens, perform the task of a censor

Conjugation

   Conjugation of cēnseō (second conjugation)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	cēnseō		cēnsēs		cēnset		cēnsēmus		cēnsētis		cēnsent
	imperfect	cēnsēbam		cēnsēbās		cēnsēbat		cēnsēbāmus		cēnsēbātis		cēnsēbant
	future	cēnsēbō		cēnsēbis		cēnsēbit		cēnsēbimus		cēnsēbitis		cēnsēbunt
	perfect	cēnsuī		cēnsuistī		cēnsuit		cēnsuimus		cēnsuistis		cēnsuērunt, cēnsuēre
	pluperfect	cēnsueram		cēnsuerās		cēnsuerat		cēnsuerāmus		cēnsuerātis		cēnsuerant
	future perfect	cēnsuerō		cēnsueris		cēnsuerit		cēnsuerimus		cēnsueritis		cēnsuerint
passive	present	cēnseor		cēnsēris, cēnsēre		cēnsētur		cēnsēmur		cēnsēminī		cēnsentur
	imperfect	cēnsēbar		cēnsēbāris, cēnsēbāre		cēnsēbātur		cēnsēbāmur		cēnsēbāminī		cēnsēbantur
	future	cēnsēbor		cēnsēberis, cēnsēbere		cēnsēbitur		cēnsēbimur		cēnsēbiminī		cēnsēbuntur
	perfect	cēnsus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	cēnsus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	cēnsus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	cēnseam		cēnseās		cēnseat		cēnseāmus		cēnseātis		cēnseant
	imperfect	cēnsērem		cēnsērēs		cēnsēret		cēnsērēmus		cēnsērētis		cēnsērent
	perfect	cēnsuerim		cēnsuerīs		cēnsuerit		cēnsuerīmus		cēnsuerītis		cēnsuerint
	pluperfect	cēnsuissem		cēnsuissēs		cēnsuisset		cēnsuissēmus		cēnsuissētis		cēnsuissent
passive	present	cēnsear		cēnseāris, cēnseāre		cēnseātur		cēnseāmur		cēnseāminī		cēnseantur
	imperfect	cēnsērer		cēnsērēris, cēnsērēre		cēnsērētur		cēnsērēmur		cēnsērēminī		cēnsērentur
	perfect	cēnsus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	cēnsus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		cēnsē		—		—		cēnsēte		—
	future	—		cēnsētō		cēnsētō		—		cēnsētōte		cēnsentō
passive	present	—		cēnsēre		—		—		cēnsēminī		—
	future	—		cēnsētor		cēnsētor		—		—		cēnsentor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		cēnsēre			cēnsērī, cēnsērier1			cēnsēns			—
future		cēnsūrum esse			cēnsum īrī			cēnsūrus			cēnsendus
perfect		cēnsuisse			cēnsum esse			—			cēnsus
future perfect		—			cēnsum fore			—			—
perfect potential		cēnsūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		cēnsendī		cēnsendō		cēnsendum		cēnsendō		cēnsum		cēnsū

¹The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

• accēnseō
• cēnsiō
• cēnsītiō
• cēnsītor
• cēnsor
• cēnsum
• cēnsus
• percēnseō
• recēnseō
• succēnseō, suscēnseō

Descendants

• English: census
• → Middle French: censer
  • French: censé

References

• “censeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “censeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• censeo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Dizionario Latino, Olivetti
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the censors hold a census of the people: censores censent populum
    
  • what is your opinion: quid censes? quid tibi videtur?
    
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 107