LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfourth conjugation

aperiō

aperiō (present infinitive aperīre, perfect active aperuī, supine apertum)
Classical[aˈpɛ.ri.oː]Ecclesiastical[aˈpɛː.ri.o]
№ 837 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to uncover, make or lay bare, reveal, clear
    cum serimus, caelum ventīs aperīte serēnīs When we are sowing, you (pl.) clear* the sky with fair winds. (In this quotation, the imperative plural aperīte is invoking the goddesses Terra and Ceres.)8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 1.681
  2. figurativelyto make visible, discover, show, reveal, lay open
    Astūtus omnia agit cum cōnsiliō: quī autem fatuus est aperit stultitiam. The prudent man doth all things with counsel: but he that is a fool, layeth open his folly. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CE)c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.13.16
  3. figurativelyto unclose, open, break open
  4. figurativelyto open, set up, establish, begin
  5. figurativelyto open an entrance to, render accessible
  6. figurativelyto disclose something unknown, to unveil, reveal, make known, unfold, prove, demonstrate; (in general) to explain, recount

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

iānuam apertam faciō.
aperiō -īre -uī — in Mille Verba, Domus et Familia
nōn clausus: per iānuam apertam intrāmus.
apertus -a -um — in Mille Verba, Domus et Familia

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Aperire · Patefacere · Aperte · Palam · Manifesto · Propalam

1. Aperire (from πεπαρεῖν) means ‘to open’ a space that is covered at top, and therefore in a horizontal direction, as, for instance, pits and springs, and thereby to make them visible; patefacere, ‘to open’ a space whose sides are closed; hence, to open in a perpendicular direction, as, for instance, gates, roads, and fields, and thereby to make them accessible. 2. Returare (from στέφω, German stopfen) means, to make accessible an opening that has been stopped up; recludere, an opening that has been shut up; reserare, an opening that has been barred up. 3. Aperte means ‘openly,’ and without concealment, so that everybody can perceive and know, in opp. to occulte, like φανερῶς; palam (from planus), ‘openly,’ and without hiding anything, so that everybody can see and hear, in opp. to clam, like ἀναφανδόν; manifesto, palpably, so that one is spared all inquiry, all conjecture, all exertion of the senses and of the mind, like δῆλον. 4. Palam denotes that openness which does not shun observation; propalam, that which courts observation. Cic. Orat. i. 35. Neque proposito argento neque tabulis et signis propalam collocatis; that is, to everybody’s admiration: compare with Pis. 36. Mensis palam propositis; that is, without fear and constraint. (v. 291.)

Conjugation conjugation 4

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.aperiōaperiēbamaperiamaperuīaperueramaperuerō
2nd sg.aperīsaperiēbāsaperiēsaperuistīaperuerāsaperueris
3rd sg.aperitaperiēbataperietaperuitaperuerataperuerit
1st pl.aperīmusaperiēbāmusaperiēmusaperuimusaperuerāmusaperuerimus
2nd pl.aperītisaperiēbātisaperiētisaperuistisaperuerātisaperueritis
3rd pl.aperiuntaperiēbantaperientaperuērunt
aperuēre		aperuerantaperuerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.aperiamaperīremaperuerimaperuissem
2nd sg.aperiāsaperīrēsaperuerīsaperuissēs
3rd sg.aperiataperīretaperueritaperuisset
1st pl.aperiāmusaperīrēmusaperuerīmusaperuissēmus
2nd pl.aperiātisaperīrētisaperuerītisaperuissētis
3rd pl.aperiantaperīrentaperuerintaperuissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.aperioraperiēbaraperiar
2nd sg.aperīris
aperīre		aperiēbāris
aperiēbāre		aperiēris
aperiēre
3rd sg.aperīturaperiēbāturaperiētur
1st pl.aperīmuraperiēbāmuraperiēmur
2nd pl.aperīminīaperiēbāminīaperiēminī
3rd pl.aperiunturaperiēbanturaperientur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.aperiaraperīrer
2nd sg.aperiāris
aperiāre		aperīrēris
aperīrēre
3rd sg.aperiāturaperīrētur
1st pl.aperiāmuraperīrēmur
2nd pl.aperiāminīaperīrēminī
3rd pl.aperianturaperīrentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.aperīaperīre
pres. 2nd pl.aperīteaperīminī
fut. 2nd sg.aperītōaperītor
fut. 3rd sg.aperītōaperītor
fut. 2nd pl.aperītōte—
fut. 3rd pl.aperiuntōaperiuntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveaperīreaperīrī
perfect infinitiveaperuisseapertum esse
future infinitiveapertūrum esseapertum īrī
present participleaperiēns
aperiente, aperientem, aperientēs, aperientī, aperientia, aperientibus, aperientis, aperientīs, aperientium		—
perfect participle—apertus
aperta, apertā, apertae, apertam, apertārum, apertās, aperte, apertī, apertīs, apertō, apertōrum, apertōs
future participleapertūrus
apertūra, apertūrā, apertūrae, apertūram, apertūrārum, apertūrās, apertūre, apertūrī, apertūrīs, apertūrō, apertūrōrum, apertūrōs, apertūrum		aperiendus
aperiundus
gerundaperiendī, aperiendō, aperiendumsupineapertum, apertū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

hoc in aperto est
it is clear, evident.
plane, aperte dicere
to speak openly, straightforwardly.
sententiam suam aperire
to freely express one's opinions.
viam patefacere, aperire
to open a route.
capite aperto (opp. operto)
bare-headed.
caput aperire (opp. operire)
to uncover one's head.
domus patet, aperta est mihi
I am always welcome at his house.
ostium, fores aperire, claudere
to open, shut the door.
3 more phrases
sententias (verbis) explicare, aperire
to explain one's sentiments.
involutae rei notitiam definiendo aperire (Or. 33. 116)
to make an obscure notion clear by means of definition.
epistulam solvere, aperire, resignare (of Romans also linum incīdere)
to open a letter.

ăpĕrĭo, ĕrŭi, ertum, 4, v. a. (
I. fut. aperibo, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 50; Pompon. ap. Non. p. 506, 30) [ab-pario, to get from, take away from, i.e. to uncover, like the opp. operio, from obpario, to get for, to put upon, i. e. to cover; this is the old explanation, and is received by Corssen, Ausspr. I. p. 653; II. p. 410, and by Vanicek, p. 503], to uncover, make or lay bare.
I. Lit.: patinas, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 51: apertae surae, Turp. ap. Non. p. 236, 16: apertis lateribus, Sisenn. ib. p. 236, 26: capite aperto esse, Varr. ib. p. 236, 25; p. 236, 28: ut corporis partes quaedam aperiantur, Cic. Off. 1, 35, 129: caput aperuit, id. Phil. 2, 31; Sall. H. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 236, 20: capita, Plin. 28, 6, 17, § 60: aperto pectore, Ov. M. 2, 339; and poet. transf. to the person: apertae pectora matres, id. ib. 13, 688: ramum, Verg. A. 6, 406 al.—Trop., to make visible, to show, reveal, Liv. 22, 6: dispulsā nebulā diem aperuit, id. 26, 17 (cf. just before: densa nebula campos circa intexit): dies faciem victoriae, Tac. Agr. 38: lux aperuit bellum ducemque belli, Liv. 3, 15: novam aciem dies aperuit, Tac. H. 4, 29: his unda dehiscens Terram aperit, opens to view, Verg. A. 1, 107.—From the intermediate idea of making visible,
II. Metaph.
A. 1.. To unclose, open: aperto ex ostio Alti Acheruntis, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37: aperite aliquis ostium, Ter. Ad. 4, 4, 26; so id. Heaut. 2, 3, 35: forem aperi, id. Ad. 2, 1, 13: fores, id. Eun. 2, 2, 52; Ov. M. 10, 457; Suet. Aug. 82: januas carceris, Vulg. Act. 5, 19: fenestram, ib. Gen. 8, 6: liquidas vias, to open the liquid way, Lucr. 1, 373; so Verg. A. 11, 884: sucum venis fundere apertis, to pour out moisture from its open veins, Lucr. 5, 812: saccum, Vulg. Gen. 42, 27: os, ib. ib. 22, 28: labia, ib. Job, 11, 5: oculos, ib. Act. 9, 8: accepi fasciculum, in quo erat epistula Piliae: abstuli, aperui, legi, Cic. Att. 5, 11 fin.; so id. ib. 1, 13; 6, 3: aperire librum, Vulg. Apoc. 5, 5; 20, 12: testamentum, Plin. 7, 52, 53, § 177 (cf.: testamentum resignare, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 9); Suet. Caes. 83; id. Aug. 17: sigillum aperire, to break, Vulg. Apoc. 6, 3 al.: ferro iter aperiundum est, Sall. C. 58, 7: locum ... asylum, to make it an asylum, Liv. 1, 8: subterraneos specus, Tac. G. 16: navigantibus maria, Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 122: arbor florem aperit, id. 12, 11, 23, § 40 et saep.: aperire parietem, to open a wall, in order to put a door or window in it, Dig. 8, 2, 40: alicui oculos aperire, to give sight to (after the Heb.), Vulg. Joan. 9, 10; 9, 14 al.; so, aures aperire, to restore hearing to, ib. Marc. 7, 35.—
2. Trop.: nec ita claudenda est res familiaris, ut eam benignitas aperire non possit, Cic. Off. 2, 15, 54: amicitiae fores. id. Fam. 13, 10: multus apertus cursus ad laudem, id. Phil. 14, 6 fin.: tibi virtus tua reditum ad tuos aperuit, id. Fam. 6, 11: philosophiae fontes, id. Tusc. 1, 3, 6; id. Mil. 31, 85 et saep.: alicujus oculos aperire, to open one's eyes, make him discern (after the Heb.), Vulg. Gen. 3, 5; 3, 7; ib. Act. 26, 18; so, alicujus cor aperire, ib. ib. 16, 14: ventus incendio viam aperuit, Liv. 6, 2: occasionem ad invadendum, id. 4, 53; so id. 9, 27: si hanc fenestram aperueritis (i.e. if you enter upon the way of complaint), nihil aliud agi sinetis, Suet. Tib. 28 (cf. Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 72: Quantam fenestram ad nequitiem patefeceris!): quia aperuisset gentibus ostium fidei, Vulg. Act. 14, 27; ib. Col. 4, 3.— So of the new year, to open it, i.e. begin: annum, Verg. G. 1, 217: contigit ergo privatis aperire annum (since the consul entered upon his office the first of January), Plin. Pan. 58, 4 Gierig and Schaef.—So also of a school, to establish, set up, begin, or open it: Dionysius tyrannus Corinthi dicitur ludum aperuisse, Cic. Fam. 9, 18; so Suet. Gram. 16; id. Rhet. 4.—Poet.: fuste aperire caput, i.e. to cleave, split the head, Juv. 9, 98.—
B. Aperire locum (populum, gentes, etc.), to lay open a place, people, etc., i.e. to open an entrance to, render accessible (cf. patefacio); most freq. in the histt., esp. in Tacitus: qui aperuerint armis orbem terrarum, Liv. 42, 52; 42, 4: Syriam, Tac. A. 2, 70: omnes terras fortibus viris natura aperuit, id. H. 4, 64: novas gentes, id. Agr. 22: gentes ac reges, id. G. 1: Britanniam tamdiu clausam aperit, Mel. 3, 6, 4; Luc. 1, 465 Cort.: Eoas, id. 4, 352: pelagus, Val. Fl. 1, 169.—
C. Transf. to mental objects, to disclose something unknown, to unveil, reveal, make known, unfold, to prove, demonstrate; or gen. to explain, recount, etc.: occulta quaedam et quasi involuta aperiri, Cic. Fin. 1, 9, 30: explicanda est saepe verbis mens nostra de quāque re atque involutae rei notitia definiendo aperienda est, id. Or. 33, 116: alicui scripturas aperire, Vulg. Luc. 24, 32: tua probra aperibo omnia, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 50: ne exspectetis argumentum fabulae; hi partem aperient, Ter. Ad. prol. 23: non quo aperiret sententiam suam, sed etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 18, 84: eo praesente conjurationem aperit, Sall. C. 40, 6: naturam et mores, id. ib. 53 fin.; so id. ib. 45, 1; 47, 1; id. J. 33, 4: lux fugam hostium aperuit, Liv. 27, 2: aperiri error poterat, id. 26, 10: casus aperire futuros, to disclose the future, Ov. M. 15, 559: futura aperit, Tac. H. 2, 4.—So also, se aperire or aperiri, to reveal one's true disposition, character: tum coacti necessario se aperiunt, show themselves in their true light, Ter. And. 4, 1, 8: studio aperimur in ipso, Ov. A. A. 3, 371: exspectandum, dum se ipsa res aperiret, Nep. Paus. 3, 7; Quint. prooem. § 3.—Sometimes constr. with acc. and inf., a rel.-clause, or de: cum jam directae in se prorae hostes appropinquare aperuissent, Liv. 44, 28: domino navis, quis sit, aperit, Nep. Them. 8, 6; so id. Eum. 13, 3: de clementiā, Auct. ad Her. 2, 31.—In a gen. sense (freq. in epistt.) in Cic. Att. 5, 1, 2: de Oppio factum est, ut volui, et maxime, quod DCCC. aperuisti, you promised, i.e. that it should be paid to him (= ostendisti te daturum, Manut.); cf. the more definite expression: de Oppio bene curāsti, quod ei DCCC. exposuisti, id. ib. 5, 4, 3.—Hence, ăpertus, a, um, P. a.; pr., opened; hence, open, free.
A. Lit.
1. Without covering, open, uncovered (opp. tectus): naves apertae, without deck, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 40; Liv. 31, 22 fin.; cf. id. 32, 21, 14: centum tectae naves et quinquaginta leviores apertae, et saep.; v. navis.—Also, without covering or defence, unprotected, exposed: locus, Caes. B. C. 3, 84.—Poet., of the sky, clear, cloudless: caelo invectus aperto, Verg. A. 1, 155: aether, id. ib. 1, 587: aperta serena prospicere, id. G. 1, 393.—
2. Unclosed, open, not shut (opp. clausus): Janua cum per se transpectum praebet apertum, since this affords an open view through it, Lucr. 4, 272: oculi, id. 4, 339: oculorum lumine aperto, id. 4, 1139 et saep.: nihil tam clausum, neque tam reconditum, quod non istius cupiditati apertissimum promptissimumque esset, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 20: caelum patens atque apertum, id. Div. 1, 1 (diff. from 1.); so Ov. M. 6, 693: vidit caelos apertos, Vulg. Marc. 1, 10: apertus et propatulus locus, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 49: iter, Liv. 31, 2: apertior aditus ad moenia, id. 9, 28: campi, id. 38, 3: per apertum limitem (viae), Tac. H. 3, 21; Ov. M. 1, 285: fenestrae, Vulg. Dan. 6, 10: ostia, ib. ib. 13, 39: aequor, Ov. M. 4, 527; so id. ib. 8, 165; 11, 555 et saep. —Poet., of a battle: nec aperti copia Martis Ulla fuit, an action in the open field, Ov. M. 13, 208.—Very freq. ăpertum, subst., that which is open, free; an open, clear space: in aperto, Lucr. 3, 604: per apertum fugientes, Hor. C, 3, 12, 10: impetum ex aperto facerent, Liv. 35, 5: castra in aperto posita, id. 1, 33; so id. 22, 4: volantem in aperto, Plin. 10, 8, 9, § 22: in aperta prodeunt, id. 8, 32, 50, § 117: disjecit naves in aperta Oceani, Tac. A. 2, 23.—
B. Trop.
1. a.. Opp. to that which is concealed, covered, dark, open, clear, plain, evident, manifest, unobstructed: nam nihil aegrius est quam res secernere apertas ab dubiis, nothing is, indeed, more difficult than to separate things that are evident from those that are doubtful, Lucr. 4, 467; so id. 4, 596; 1, 915; 5, 1062: cum illum ex occultis insidiis in apertum latrocinium conjecimus, Cic. Cat. 2, 1: simultates partim obscurae, partim apertae, id. Manil. 24: quid enim potest esse tam apertum tamque perspicuum? id. N. D. 2, 2, 4: quid rem apertam suspectam facimus? Liv. 41, 24: non furtim, sed vi aperta, id. 25, 24: apertus animi motus, Quint. 10, 3, 21: invidia in occulto, adulatio in aperto, Tac. H. 4, 4 et saep.—So, in rhet., of clear, intelligible discourse: multo apertius ad intellegendum est, si, etc. ... apertam enim narrationem tam esse oportet quam, etc., Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 328; cf. id. Inv. 1, 20.—Hence,
b. Esp. as subst.: in aperto esse,
(a). To be clear, evident, well known, notorious, ἐν τῷ φανερῷ εἶναι: ad cognoscendum omnia illustria magis magisque in aperto, Sall. J. 5, 3.—
(b). To be easily practicable, easy, facile (the figure taken from an open field or space): agere memoratu digna pronum magisque in aperto erat, there was a greater inclination and a more open way to, Tac. Agr. 1: hostes aggredi in aperto foret, id. H. 3, 56: vota virtusque in aperto omniaque prona victoribus, id. Agr. 33.—
2. Of character, without dissimulation, open, frank, candid: animus apertus et simplex, Cic. Fam. 1, 9; id. Off. 3, 13, 57: pectus, id. Lael. 26, 97. —Hence, ironically: ut semper fuit apertissimus, as he has always been very open, frank (for impudent, shameless), Cic. Mur. 35.—Hence, ăpertē, adv., openly, clearly, plainly.
I. In gen.: tam aperte irridens, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 62: ab illo aperte tecte quicquid est datum, libenter accepi, Cic. Att. 1, 14, 4; id. Or. 12, 38; id. Am. 18, 67: cum Fidenae aperte descissent, Liv. 1, 27: aperte quod venale habet ostendit, Hor. S. 1, 2, 83: aperte revelari, Vulg. 1 Reg. 2, 27: non jam secretis colloquiis, sed aperte fremere, Tac. A. 11, 28: aperte adulari, Cic. Am. 26, 99: aperte mentiri, id. Ac. 2, 6, 18: aperte pugnare, id. ap. Aquil. Rom. 10: aperte immundus est, Vulg. Lev. 13, 26.—Comp.: cum ipsum dolorem hic tulit paulo apertius, Cic. Planc. 34; id. Att. 16, 3, 5; Curt. 6, 1, 11: ab his proconsuli venenum inter epulas datum est apertius quam ut fallerent, Tac. A. 13, 1.—Sup.: hinc empta apertissime praetura, Cic. Verr. 1, 100: equite Romano per te apertissime interfecto, id. Har. Resp. 30: largiri, id. ib. 56: praedari, Cic. Verr. 1, 130.—
II. Esp. of what is set forth in words or writing, plainly, clearly, freely, without reserve: nempe ergo aperte vis quae restant me loqui? Ter. And. 1, 2, 24; id. Phorm. 4, 3, 49: aperte indicat (lex) posse rationem habere non praesentis, Cic. ad Brut. 1, 5, 3: Non tu istuc mihi dictura aperte es, quicquid est? Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 3: narrare, id. Heaut. 4, 3, 24: scribere, Cic. Fam. 5, 7, 3; Quint. 1, 5, 43.—Comp.: Planius atque apertius dicam, Cic. Rosc. Com. 14, 43: distinguere, Quint. 3, 6, 45.—Sup.: istius injurias quam apertissime vobis planissimeque explicare, Cic. Verr. 2, 64, 156: aliquid apertissime ostendere, Quint. 5, 12, 11.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *apweriō (alternatively reconstructed as Proto-Italic *apwerjō) from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“off, from”) (whence ab) + *h₂wer- (“to cover, shut”) + *-ye-. Cognate with Sanskrit अपिवृणोति (apivṛṇoti, “to close, cover”), Oscan veru (“door”, pl.), Ancient Greek ἀείρω (aeírō, “to lift, raise”), Lithuanian atvérti (“to open”), Proto-Slavic *ot(ъ)verti (“to open”), and Old Armenian գեր (ger, “above, hyper-”). Related to operiō (“to cover”).

Elsewhere
  • Frenchouvrirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Catalanobrirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Catalanaubrirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Catalanaurirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Catalaneurirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Occitandurbirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Occitandrubirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Occitandubrirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Occitandebrirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
  • Occitanderbirfrom Vulgar Latin *operīre
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianabbèrrere
  • Sardinianabèrriri
  • Sardinianapèrrere
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseabrirfrom Old Galician-Portuguese abrir
  • Spanishabrir
  • Asturianabrir
  • Falaabrilfrom Old Galician-Portuguese abrir
  • Galicianabrirfrom Old Galician-Portuguese abrir
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianaprire
  • Dalmatianaprer
  • Dalmatianapiar
  • Dalmatianapriar
  • Dalmatianaprier
  • Neapolitanrapire
  • Sicilianràpiri
  • Venetanvèrzar
  • Venetanaverzir
  • Venetanavèrzer
Balkano-Romance
  • Aromanianapir
  • Aromanianapiru
  • Aromanianapiriri
  • Megleno-Romanianapir, apiriri
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianavierzi
  • Friulianaviergi
  • Friulianvierzi
  • Friulianviergi
  • Ladinavërjer
  • Romanshavrir
  • Romansharver
  • Romanshearver
  • Romanshduvrir
  • Romanshdarveir
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianavrîr
  • Emilianarvir
  • Ligurianarvî
  • Ligurianaurī

Quick answers

What does aperiō mean in Latin?
aperiō, a verb, means “to uncover, make or lay bare, reveal, clear; to make visible, discover, show, reveal, lay open; to unclose, open, break open”.
What are the principal parts of aperiō?
aperiō, aperīre, aperuī, apertum (fourth conjugation).
How do you pronounce aperiō?
In classical Latin, [aˈpɛ.ri.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [aˈpɛː.ri.o].