praecipio

Latin

Etymology

From prae- +‎ capiō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /prae̯ˈki.pi.oː/, [präe̯ˈkɪpioː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /preˈt͡ʃi.pi.o/, [preˈt͡ʃiːpio]

Verb

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

1. to take or seize beforehand, in advance
2. to anticipate

   Synonyms: anteeō, occupō

3. 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

1. to teach, instruct, advise, inform, warn

   Synonyms: admoneō, moneō, condicō, praedīcō, dēlīberō

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
		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
		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
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		praecipe		—		—		praecipite		—
	future	—		praecipitō		praecipitō		—		praecipitōte		praecipiuntō
passive	present	—		praecipere		—		—		praecipiminī		—
	future	—		praecipitor		praecipitor		—		—		praecipiuntor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		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

• praeceptiō
• praeceptor
• praeceptrix
• praeceptus
• praecipuus

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)