praesum

Latin

Alternative forms

• presum (Medieval Latin)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *per-

Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-i

Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i?

Proto-Italic *prai

Proto-Italic *prai-

Latin prae-

Proto-Indo-European *h₁es-

Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi

Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-

Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt

Proto-Italic *som~*ezom

Latin sum

Latin praesum

From prae- + sum.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈprae̯.sũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈprɛː.s̬um]

Verb

praesum (present infinitive praeesse, perfect active praefuī, future active participle praefutūrus); irregular conjugation, suppletive, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, no gerund

1. to be before something
2. to preside or rule over

   Synonyms: prīncipor, praecūrō

3. to lead, take the lead

   Synonym: praedūcō

4. to command, have command, be in command of, have charge of, be in charge of (with dative of the thing or person being commanded)

   Synonyms: praecipiō, praesideō

   classi/exercitui praeesse ― to command a navy/army

   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 26.1:

     Si supplemento opus esset, suppleret de legionibus quibus P. Cornelius pro praetore in Sicilia praeesset, […]

     If reinforcements were needed, he should supply them with the legions which Publius Cornelius, propraetor, was in charge of in Sicily, […]

Conjugation

Note: This verb takes a dative object.

   Conjugation of praesum (irregular conjugation, suppletive, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, no gerund)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	praesum		praees		praeest		praesumus		praeestis		praesunt
	imperfect	praeeram		praeerās		praeerat		praeerāmus		praeerātis		praeerant
	future	praeerō		praeeris, praeere		praeerit		praeerimus		praeeritis		praeerunt
	perfect	praefuī		praefuistī		praefuit		praefuimus		praefuistis		praefuērunt, praefuēre
	pluperfect	praefueram		praefuerās		praefuerat		praefuerāmus		praefuerātis		praefuerant
	future perfect	praefuerō		praefueris		praefuerit		praefuerimus		praefueritis		praefuerint
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	praesim, praesiem, praefuam1		praesīs, praesiēs, praefuās1		praesit, praesiet, praefuat1		praesīmus, praesiēmus, praefuāmus1		praesītis, praesiētis, praefuātis1		praesint, praesient, praefuant1
	imperfect	praeessem, praeforem		praeessēs, praeforēs		praeesset, praeforet		praeessēmus, praeforēmus		praeessētis, praeforētis		praeessent, praeforent
	perfect	praefuerim		praefuerīs		praefuerit		praefuerīmus		praefuerītis		praefuerint
	pluperfect	praefuissem		praefuissēs		praefuisset		praefuissēmus		praefuissētis		praefuissent
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		praees		—		—		praeeste		—
	future	—		praeestō		praeestō		—		praeestōte		praesuntō
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		praeesse			—			praesēns			—
future		praefutūrum esse, praefore			—			praefutūrus			—
perfect		praefuisse			—			—			—
perfect potential		praefutūrum fuisse			—			—			—

¹Old Latin or in poetry.

Derived terms

• praesēns

References

• “praesum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “praesum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “praesum”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to have the management of the state: rei publicae praeesse
    
  • to perform official duties: munere fungi, muneri praeesse
    
  • to be president of a court: iudicio praeesse
    
  • to preside over an inquiry: quaestioni praeesse
    
  • to be at the head of an army: praeesse exercitui
    
  • to be commander-in-chief: imperii summae praeesse
    
• praesum in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2026), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication