obsto

See also: obstó

Latin

Etymology

From ob- (“before, in front”) +‎ stō (“stand”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈob.stoː/, [ˈɔps̠t̪oː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈob.sto/, [ˈɔbst̪o]

Verb

obstō (present infinitive obstāre, perfect active obstitī, future participle obstātūrus); first conjugation, no supine stem (except in the future active participle), impersonal in the passive

1. to stand before, stand in the way of, obstruct, block, oppose

   Synonyms: oppōnō, adversor, obversor, refrāgor, repugnō, restō, resistō, officiō, obstruō, dīvertō, recūsō, subsistō, resistō, vetō

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.90-91:

     Quam simul ac tālī persēnsit peste tenērī
     cāra Iovis coniūnx, nec fāmam obstāre furōrī, [...].

     And as soon as [Juno], dear wife of Jupiter, sensed that [Dido was now] gripped by such a plague [of passion], and that even [Dido’s regard for her own] reputation [had ceased] to oppose her [rush] to madness, [...].

2. to thwart, hinder

   Synonyms: supprimō, intersaepiō, moror, prohibeō, impediō, refrēnō, dētineō, obstruō, retineō, arceō, cohibeō, sistō, inclūdō, reprimō, perimō, officiō, tardō, saepiō, premō, coerceō, comprimō, sustentō

   Antonyms: līberō, eximō, vindicō, servō, exonerō, absolvō, excipiō, ēmittō

Usage notes

Usually used with the dative.

Conjugation

   Conjugation of obstō (first conjugation, no supine stem except in the future active participle, impersonal in the passive)

indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	obstō	obstās	obstat	obstāmus	obstātis	obstant
	imperfect	obstābam	obstābās	obstābat	obstābāmus	obstābātis	obstābant
	future	obstābō	obstābis	obstābit	obstābimus	obstābitis	obstābunt
	perfect	obstitī	obstitistī	obstitit	obstitimus	obstitistis	obstitērunt, obstitēre
	pluperfect	obstiteram	obstiterās	obstiterat	obstiterāmus	obstiterātis	obstiterant
	future perfect	obstiterō	obstiteris	obstiterit	obstiterimus	obstiteritis	obstiterint
passive	present	—	—	obstātur	—	—	—
	imperfect	—	—	obstābātur	—	—	—
	future	—	—	obstābitur	—	—	—
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	obstem	obstēs	obstet	obstēmus	obstētis	obstent
	imperfect	obstārem	obstārēs	obstāret	obstārēmus	obstārētis	obstārent
	perfect	obstiterim	obstiterīs	obstiterit	obstiterīmus	obstiterītis	obstiterint
	pluperfect	obstitissem	obstitissēs	obstitisset	obstitissēmus	obstitissētis	obstitissent
passive	present	—	—	obstētur	—	—	—
	imperfect	—	—	obstārētur	—	—	—
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	obstā	—	—	obstāte	—
	future	—	obstātō	obstātō	—	obstātōte	obstantō
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		obstāre	obstitisse	obstātūrum esse	obstārī	—	—
participles		obstāns	—	obstātūrus	—	—	obstandum
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		obstandī	obstandō	obstandum	obstandō	—	—

Derived terms

• nihil obstat
• obstāculum
• obstāns
• obstantia
• obstetrīx

Related terms

• obstitus
• stō

Descendants

• Anglo-Norman: ouster
  • → English: oust
• Catalan: obstar
• French: ôter
  • Louisiana French: oûter
• Galician: obstar
• Italian: ostare
• Portuguese: obstar
• Spanish: obstar

References

• “obsto”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “obsto”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• obsto in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to look after, guard a person's interests, welfare: rationibus alicuius prospicere or consulere (opp. officere, obstare, adversari)