verbthird (-iō variant) conjugation
cōnspiciō
cōnspiciō (present infinitive cōnspicere, perfect active cōnspexī, supine cōnspectum)
Classical[kõːˈspɪ.ki.oː]Ecclesiastical[konˈspiː.t͡ʃi.o]
Meaning
- to see, watch, observe, perceive, catch sight of, look at with admiration or close attention, gaze upon, contemplate, behold, espy
tum, pietāte gravem ac meritīs sī forte virum quem
Then, if by chance [the disorderly people] catch sight of some man, venerable in [his] piety and service, they [fall] silent, and stand straight with [attentive] ears. (Here, “conspexere” is a syncopated form of the third person plural perfect “conspexerunt.” Understand “quem” along with its prefix: “aliquem.”)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.151–152 - to examine, consider
- passiveto attract attention, to be conspicuous, to be visible
- to comprehend, realize, notice
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Videre · Cernere · Spectare · Intueri · Conspicere · Adspicere · Adspectus · Conspectus · Obtutus
1. Videre and cernere denote seeing, as perceiving by the organ of sight; videre (ἰδεῖν) as perception in general, in opp. to an obstruction of the view, like ὁρᾶν; cernere (κρίνειν) especially as a clear perception, in opp. to a transient or dim view; whereas spectare, intueri, tueri, and contueri, denote looking, as the dwelling of the eyes upon an object; spectare means, quietly to fix the eye upon an object that interests the understanding, and dwell upon it as upon a theatrical representation, like θεᾶσθαι; whereas intueri (from στοχάζομαι), to fix the eye upon something that strikes the fancy or soul, as to contemplate, θεωρεῖν. Cic. Fam. vii. 1. Neque nos qui hæc spectavimus, quidquam novi vidimus. 2. Intueri denotes merely to contemplate attentively; contueri, to gaze upon fixedly, keenly, and with eyes widely opened. 3. Conspicere means to descry, that is, to get sight of an object of one’s self, and generally of an unexpected object; whereas adspicere means to look at, that is, to cast one’s eye upon an object, whether consciously or not. 4. Adspectus has an active meaning, as the looking at; conspectus, a passive meaning, as the sight of, that is, the appearance, often also the field of view, sight [as in to be or come in sight]; obtutus has a neutral sense, as the look. Suet. Tib. 43. Ut adspectu deficientes libidines excitaret; comp. with Cal. 9. Tumultuantes conspectu suo flexit; and with Cic. Orat. iii. 5. Qui vultum ejus cum ei dicendum esset, obtutumque oculorum in cogitando probe nosset. (iv. 305.)
Conjugation
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | cōnspiciō | cōnspiciēbam | cōnspiciam | cōnspexī | cōnspexeram | cōnspexerō |
| 2nd sg. | cōnspicis | cōnspiciēbās | cōnspiciēs | cōnspexistī | cōnspexerās | cōnspexeris |
| 3rd sg. | cōnspicit | cōnspiciēbat | cōnspiciet | cōnspexit | cōnspexerat | cōnspexerit |
| 1st pl. | cōnspicimus | cōnspiciēbāmus | cōnspiciēmus | cōnspeximus | cōnspexerāmus | cōnspexerimus |
| 2nd pl. | cōnspicitis | cōnspiciēbātis | cōnspiciētis | cōnspexistis | cōnspexerātis | cōnspexeritis |
| 3rd pl. | cōnspiciunt | cōnspiciēbant | cōnspicient | cōnspexērunt cōnspexēre | cōnspexerant | cōnspexerint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | cōnspiciam | cōnspicerem | cōnspexerim | cōnspexissem |
| 2nd sg. | cōnspiciās | cōnspicerēs | cōnspexerīs | cōnspexissēs |
| 3rd sg. | cōnspiciat | cōnspiceret | cōnspexerit | cōnspexisset |
| 1st pl. | cōnspiciāmus | cōnspicerēmus | cōnspexerīmus | cōnspexissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | cōnspiciātis | cōnspicerētis | cōnspexerītis | cōnspexissētis |
| 3rd pl. | cōnspiciant | cōnspicerent | cōnspexerint | cōnspexissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | cōnspicior | cōnspiciēbar | cōnspiciar |
| 2nd sg. | cōnspiceris cōnspicere | cōnspiciēbāris cōnspiciēbāre | cōnspiciēris cōnspiciēre |
| 3rd sg. | cōnspicitur | cōnspiciēbātur | cōnspiciētur |
| 1st pl. | cōnspicimur | cōnspiciēbāmur | cōnspiciēmur |
| 2nd pl. | cōnspiciminī | cōnspiciēbāminī | cōnspiciēminī |
| 3rd pl. | cōnspiciuntur | cōnspiciēbantur | cōnspicientur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | cōnspiciar | cōnspicerer |
| 2nd sg. | cōnspiciāris cōnspiciāre | cōnspicerēris cōnspicerēre |
| 3rd sg. | cōnspiciātur | cōnspicerētur |
| 1st pl. | cōnspiciāmur | cōnspicerēmur |
| 2nd pl. | cōnspiciāminī | cōnspicerēminī |
| 3rd pl. | cōnspiciantur | cōnspicerentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | cōnspice | cōnspicere |
| pres. 2nd pl. | cōnspicite | cōnspiciminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | cōnspicitō | cōnspicitor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | cōnspicitō | cōnspicitor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | cōnspicitōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | cōnspiciuntō | cōnspiciuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | cōnspicere | cōnspicī |
| perfect infinitive | cōnspexisse | cōnspectum esse |
| future infinitive | cōnspectūrum esse | cōnspectum īrī |
| present participle | cōnspiciēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | cōnspectus cōnspecta, cōnspectā, cōnspectae, cōnspectam, cōnspectārum, cōnspectās, cōnspecte, cōnspectī, cōnspectīs, cōnspectō, cōnspectōrum, cōnspectōs |
| future participle | cōnspectūrus cōnspectūra, cōnspectūrā, cōnspectūrae, cōnspectūram, cōnspectūrārum, cōnspectūrās, cōnspectūre, cōnspectūrī, cōnspectūrīs, cōnspectūrō, cōnspectūrōrum, cōnspectūrōs, cōnspectūrum | cōnspiciendus cōnspiciundus, cōnspicienda, cōnspiciendā, cōnspiciendae, cōnspiciendam, cōnspiciendārum, cōnspiciendās, cōnspiciende, cōnspiciendīs, cōnspiciendōrum, cōnspiciendōs |
gerundcōnspiciendī, cōnspiciendō, cōnspiciendumsupinecōnspectum, cōnspectū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- conspici, conspicuum esse aliqua re
- to make oneself conspicuous.
con-spĭcĭo, spexi, spectum, 3, v. a. and n.,
I. to look at attentively, to get sight of, to descry, perceive, observe (class. in prose and poetry).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.
(a). Absol.:
inter eas regiones, quā oculi conspiciant, Varr. L. L. 7, § 9 Müll.: in tabernam, Petr. 140, 14.—(b). With acc.:
me interrogas, Qui ipsus equidem nunc primum istanc tecum conspicio semul, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 122: quae aedes ... quas quotiensquomque conspicio, fleo, id. Capt. 1, 1, 29: si queat usquam Conspicere amissum fetum, Lucr. 2, 358: quandoque te in jure conspicio, Leg. Act. ap. Cic. Caecin. 19, 54, and id. Mur. 12, 26: ut procul novum vehiculum Argonautarum e monte conspexit, Cic. N. D. 2, 35, 89: quisque ... quae prima signa conspexit, ad haec constitit, Caes. B. G. 2, 21: quos cum apud se in castris Ariovistus conspexisset, id. ib. 1, 47: ubi primum nostros equites conspexerunt, id. ib. 4, 12; 2, 26: sidus in regione caeli, etc., Plin. 2, 25, 23, § 94: qui lucus ex insulā conspiciebatur, Nep. Milt. 7, 3: conspici inter se, to be visible to one another, Liv. 37, 41, 4: cum inter se conspecti essent, id. 33, 6, 4: hunc simulac cupido conspexit lumine virgo, Cat. 64, 86: conspectis luminibus crebris, Liv. 31, 24, 7: locum insidiis conspeximus ipsi, Verg. A. 9, 237: quae mihi tunc primum, tunc est conspecta supremum, Ov. M. 12, 526: super tabernaculum ... unde ab omnibus conspici posset, imago Solis fulgebat, Curt. 3, 3, 8: conspecto delatore ejus, Suet. Dom. 11: rugas in speculo, Ov. M. 15, 232: cornua in undā, id. ib. 1, 640: arcem, id. ib. 2, 794: scopulum, id. ib. 4, 731.—Of an inanimate subject: si illud signum (Jovis) solis ortum et forum curiamque conspiceret, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 20.—With two accus., when an action, condition, etc., is the object: quam (matrem) paucis ante diebus laureatam in suā gratulatione conspexit, eandem, etc. ... eundem (filium) spoliatum omni dignitate conspiciat, Cic. Mur. 41, 88: strata volgi pedibus detrita viarum Saxea, Lucr. 1, 315: superiora loca multitudine armatorum completa, Caes. B. G. 3, 3: quos laborantes, id. ib. 4, 26: aliquos ex nave egredientes, id. ib.: aliquem conspiciens ad se ferentem, Nep. Dat. 4, 5: naves suas oppletas serpentibus, id. Hann. 11, 6: (Hannibalem) humi jacentem, Liv. 21, 4, 7: adrasum quendam, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 49; cf., pass.: quamvis non alius flectere equum sciens Aeque conspicitur, id. C. 3, 7, 26: cum interim Metellus, monte degrediens cum exercitu, conspicitur, Sall. J. 49, 5 dub.; v. conspicor: terribilior niger conspicitur (canis), Col. 7, 12, 4.—(g). With acc. and inf.:
corpus ut exanimum siquod procul ipse jacere Conspicias hominis, Lucr. 6, 706: qui nostros victores flumen transisse conspexerant, Caes. B. G. 2, 24: centum procurrere currus, Cato, 64, 389; Plin. 2, 9, 6, § 45.—B. Pregn., to look at with admiration or close attention, to gaze upon, observe, contemplate.
(a). Act.:
quid nunc supina sursum in caelum conspicis? Plaut. Cist. 2, 3, 78: orabat, ne se, quem paulo ante cum egregiā stirpe conspexissent, orbum liberis facerent, Liv. 1, 26, 9: Demetrium ut pacis auctorem cum ingenti favore conspiciebant, id. 39, 53, 2: quem cum omnes conspicerent propter novitatem ornatūs ignotamque formam, Nep. Dat. 3, 3: cum bene notum Porticus Agrippae te conspexerit, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 26.—(b). Esp. pass.: conspici, to attract attention, to be conspicuous, noticed, observed, distinguished, admired:
inania sunt ista ... delectamenta paene puerorum, captare plausus, vehi per urbem, conspici velle, Cic. Pis. 25, 60: in gestu nec venustatem conspiciendam, nec turpitudinem esse, Auct. Her. 3, 15, 26: sic quisque hostem ferire, murum adscendere, conspici dum tale facinus faceret, properabat, Sall. C. 7, 6: supellex modica, non multa, ut in neutram partem conspici posset, Nep. Att. 13, 5: quid te ut regium juvenem conspici sinis? Liv. 1, 47, 5: maxime conspectus ipse est, curru equis albis juncto urbem invectus, id. 5, 23, 5: vestitus nihil inter aequales excellens, arma atque equi conspiciebantur, id. 21, 4, 8; 5, 52, 3; 39, 6, 9: quorum Conspicitur nitidis fundata pecunia villis, Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 46: tu formosissimus alto Conspiceris caelo ( = inter deos versaris), Ov. M. 4, 19: prima bonis animi conspicerere tui, id. Tr. 1, 6, 34; Vell. 2, 91, 4; Quint. 11, 3, 137.—Less freq. in an unfavorable sense, to be notorious, to be gazed at with dislike or contempt: carere me adspectu civium quam infestis oculis omnium conspici mallem, Cic. Cat. 1, 7, 17: ne quid faciat, quod conspici et derideri posset, Aug. ap. Suet. Claud. 4.—II. Trop., to perceive mentally, to understand, comprehend:
satis in rem quae sint meam ego conspicio mihi, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 10: quantum ego nunc corde conspicio meo, id. Ps. 3, 1, 3; cf.: ut conspiciatis eum mentibus, quoniam oculis non potestis, Cic. Balb. 20, 47: nullus error talis in L. Aemilio Paulo conspectus est, Val. Max. 7, 5, 3.—Hence, A. conspĭcĭens, entis, P. a. (acc. to II. B.), having understanding, intelligent:
ad quas (contumelias) despiciendas non sapiente opus est viro, sed tantum conspiciente, Sen. Const. 16, 3 Haase (al. consipiente). —B. conspectus, a, um, P. a.
1. (Acc. to I. A. 1.) Visible:
tumulus hosti conspectus, Liv. 22, 24, 5; cf. id. 10, 40, 8; 32, 5, 13: agmina inter se satis conspecta, id. 22, 4, 6. —2. (Acc. to I. B.) Striking, distinguished, remarkable, gazed at, = conspicuus (perh. not ante-Aug.):
Pallas chlamyde et pictis conspectus in armis, Verg. A. 8, 588 (conspicuus, conspicabilis, Serv.); so, victor Tyrio in ostro, id. G. 3, 17; cf. Hor. A. P. 228: juventus, Ov. M. 12, 553: patris avique fama conspectum eum faciebat, Liv. 45, 7, 3: conspectus elatusque supra modum hominis privati, id. 4, 13, 3.—Comp., Ov. M. 4, 796; Liv. 2, 5, 5; Tac. H. 4, 11; Just. 11, 5; Juv. 8, 140 al.—Sup. and adv. apparently not in use.—C. conspĭcĭendus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to I. B.), worth seeing, worthy of attention, distinguished (perh. not ante-Aug.):
insideat celeri conspiciendus equo, Tib. 1, 2, 70: Nemesis donis meis, id. 2, 3, 52: Hyas formā, Ov. F. 5, 170: mater formosa Inter Dictaeos greges, id. ib. 5, 118: eques, id. Tr. 2, 114: opus vel in hac magnificentiā urbis, Liv. 6, 4, 11; Val. Fl. 1, 261; Mart. 9, 50, 10.conspĭcĭo, ōnis, f. 1. conspicio,
I. the survey taken by the augur in fixing the limits of the templum, Varr. L. L. 7, § 9 Müll.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
cōnspiciō spēxī, spectus, ere
SPEC-, to look at attentively, get sight of, descry, perceive, observe, fix eyes upon: te in iure: procul vehiculum e monte: milites ab hostibus conspiciebantur, Cs.: lucus ex insulā conspiciebatur, N.: inter se conspecti, L.: conspectis luminibus crebris, L.: locum insidiis, espy, V.: rugas in speculo, O.: conspectos horrere ursos, at the sight of, O.: si illud signum forum conspiceret, face towards: (filium) spoliatum omni dignitate: loca multitudine completa, Cs.: alqm humi iacentem, L.: hunc cupido lumine, Ct.: nostros victores flumen transisse, Cs.: frondere Philemona, O.—To look at with admiration, gaze upon, observe, contemplate: alqm cum egregiā stirpe, L.: alqm propter novitatem orna<*>ūs, N.—Pass, to attract attention, be conspicuous, be noticed, be distinguished, be admired: vehi per urbem, conspici velle: se quisque conspici properabat, S.: maxime conspectus ipse est, curru invectus, L.: formosissimus alto caelo, shine, O.: infestis oculis omnium conspici, be a mark for.— Fig., to perceive, discern: eum mentibus.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincōnspiciō
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Italic *spekjō Latin speciō Latin cōnspiciō From con- + speciō.