verbthird (-iō variant) conjugation
dēficiō
dēficiō (present infinitive dēficere, perfect active dēfēcī, supine dēfectum)
Classical[deːˈfɪ.ki.oː]Ecclesiastical[deˈfiː.t͡ʃi.o]
№ 676 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- intransitiveto move away, leave, withdraw, break away
ab aliqua re deficere
to break away from something - intransitiveto be exhausted, run out, fail, run out, be wanting, fail, cease, disappear, come to nothing, vanish
quia defecerunt sicut fumus dies mei et ossa mea sicut gremium aruerunt
For my days are vanished like smoke, and my bones are grown dry like fuel for the fire.Vulgata—Psalmi 101.4 (translation from the Douay Rheims Bible https://www.ecatholic2000.com/douay-rheims-bible/psalms.shtml#_Toc511436257) - intransitiveto be discouraged, disappoint or let down
- intransitiveto finish up, die
quia peccatores peribunt inimici vero Domini mox honorificati fuerint et exaltati deficientes quemadmodum fumus defecerunt
Because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.Vulgata—Psalmi 36.notes translation from the Douay Rheims Bible https://www.ecatholic2000.com/douay-rheims-bible/psalms.shtml#_Toc51143625720 - transitiveto forsake, desert or abandon
- reflexiveto be lacking in, to fall short, have shortcomings, fail
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
vīrēs āmittō, dēsinō esse; fax dēficit, vōx dēficit.dēficiō -ere -fēcī — in Mille Verba, Fūnus et Memoria
dēsum, dēestdēficiō -ere — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 9
vīribus dēstituor, collābordēficiō -ere — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 13, 26
vīribus dēstituor, cadōdēficiō -ere — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 13
fail, run out; revolt
dēficiō -ere, -fēcī — in De Bello Gallico III
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Abesse · Deesse · Deficere
1. Abesse denotes absence as a local relation, ‘to be away’ from a place; but deesse denotes an absence by which a thing is rendered incomplete, and means ‘to fail,’ ‘to be wanting,’ in opp. to esse and superesse. Cic. Brut. 80. Calidio hoc unum, si nihil utilitatis habebat, abfuit, si opus erat, defuit. 2. Deesse denotes a completed (i.e. already existing), deficere a commencing state. Cic. Verr. i. 11. Vererer ne oratio deesset, ne vox viresque deficerent. (v. 339.)
Turbæ · Tumultus · Seditio · Secessio · Deficere · Desciscere
Turbæ and tumultus denote the civil broils of public life; turbæ (τύρβη) interruptions of public order; tumultus (from tumere) of the public peace; whereas seditio and secessio are political commotions, in consequence of decided, evident differences of opinion, and of conflicting principles; seditio (from se and ire) when concord is first disturbed, and the parties as yet contend with words only; secessio, when the prospect of reconciliation is already given up, and the parties either stand opposite each other, ready to come to blows, or, at least, have broken off all connection with each other. 2. The seditiosi and secedentes are citizens and members of a free community, and only suspend public concord; whereas the deficientes and desciscentes break a compact, because, either as subjected states they rebel, or as allies fall off; deficere, as the most general expression, represents the falling off, in a moral point of view, as a treacherous, fickle, cowardly desertion; desciscere (from scindere) in a political point of view, as an alteration in the constitution and political system. (v. 363.)
Conjugation
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dēficiō | dēficiēbam | dēficiam | dēfēcī | dēfēceram | dēfēcerō |
| 2nd sg. | dēficis | dēficiēbās | dēficiēs | dēfēcistī | dēfēcerās | dēfēceris |
| 3rd sg. | dēficit | dēficiēbat | dēficiet | dēfēcit | dēfēcerat | dēfēcerit |
| 1st pl. | dēficimus | dēficiēbāmus | dēficiēmus | dēfēcimus | dēfēcerāmus | dēfēcerimus |
| 2nd pl. | dēficitis | dēficiēbātis | dēficiētis | dēfēcistis | dēfēcerātis | dēfēceritis |
| 3rd pl. | dēficiunt | dēficiēbant | dēficient | dēfēcērunt dēfēcēre | dēfēcerant | dēfēcerint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dēficiam | dēficerem | dēfēcerim | dēfēcissem |
| 2nd sg. | dēficiās | dēficerēs | dēfēcerīs | dēfēcissēs |
| 3rd sg. | dēficiat | dēficeret | dēfēcerit | dēfēcisset |
| 1st pl. | dēficiāmus | dēficerēmus | dēfēcerīmus | dēfēcissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | dēficiātis | dēficerētis | dēfēcerītis | dēfēcissētis |
| 3rd pl. | dēficiant | dēficerent | dēfēcerint | dēfēcissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dēficior | dēficiēbar | dēficiar |
| 2nd sg. | dēficeris dēficere | dēficiēbāris dēficiēbāre | dēficiēris dēficiēre |
| 3rd sg. | dēficitur | dēficiēbātur | dēficiētur |
| 1st pl. | dēficimur | dēficiēbāmur | dēficiēmur |
| 2nd pl. | dēficiminī | dēficiēbāminī | dēficiēminī |
| 3rd pl. | dēficiuntur | dēficiēbantur | dēficientur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dēficiar | dēficerer |
| 2nd sg. | dēficiāris dēficiāre | dēficerēris dēficerēre |
| 3rd sg. | dēficiātur | dēficerētur |
| 1st pl. | dēficiāmur | dēficerēmur |
| 2nd pl. | dēficiāminī | dēficerēminī |
| 3rd pl. | dēficiantur | dēficerentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | dēfice | dēficere |
| pres. 2nd pl. | dēficite | dēficiminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | dēficitō | dēficitor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | dēficitō | dēficitor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | dēficitōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | dēficiuntō | dēficiuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | dēficere | dēficī |
| perfect infinitive | dēfēcisse | dēfectum esse |
| future infinitive | dēfectūrum esse | dēfectum īrī |
| present participle | dēficiēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | dēfectus dēfecta, dēfectā, dēfectae, dēfectam, dēfectārum, dēfectās, dēfecte, dēfectī, dēfectīs, dēfectō, dēfectōrum, dēfectōs |
| future participle | dēfectūrus dēfectūra, dēfectūrā, dēfectūrae, dēfectūram, dēfectūrārum, dēfectūrās, dēfectūre, dēfectūrī, dēfectūrīs, dēfectūrō, dēfectūrōrum, dēfectūrōs, dēfectūrum | dēficiendus dēficiundus, dēficienda, dēficiendā, dēficiendae, dēficiendam, dēficiendārum, dēficiendās, dēficiende, dēficiendīs, dēficiendōrum, dēficiendōs |
gerunddēficiendī, dēficiendō, dēficiendumsupinedēfectum, dēfectū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- a re publica deficere
- to betray the interests of the state.
- animo cadere, deficere
- to lose courage; to despair.
- vires aliquem deficiunt
- to lose strength.
- sol(luna) deficit, obscuratur
- the sun, moon, is eclipsed.
- fides aliquem deficere coepit
- a man's credit begins to go down.
- a virtute discedere or deficere
- to deviate from the path of virtue.
dē-fĭcĭo, fēci, fectum, 3 (
I. perf. subj.: defexit, an old formula in Liv. 1, 24 fin., see below, no. III. fin. In the pass., besides the regular form deficior, ante- and postclass., once in Verg., Propert., and Livy, like fīo, eri: defit, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19; Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 46; Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 12; Lucr. 2, 1142; Verg. E. 2, 22; Prop. 1, 1, 34:
deflunt, Gell. 20, 8, 5: defiat, Plaut. Men. 1, 4, 3; id. Rud. 4, 4, 63: defiet, Liv. 9, 11: defieri, Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 2; cf. conficio init.), v. a. and n. facio, orig., to loosen, set free, remove from; but it passed over at a very early period into the middle sense, to loosen from one's self, to remove one's self, to break loose from; and then gradually assumed the character of a new verb. act., with the meaning to leave, desert, depart from something, or absol., to depart, cease, fail. (For syn. cf.: desum, absum, descisco, negligo.) I. Act. in the middle sense, to remove one's self, separate one's self, to withdraw (cf. the Greek ἀφιστάναι).—Hence, to forsake, desert, abandon, revolt.
A. Lit.:
ab amicitia P. R., Caes. B. G. 5, 3, 3; 7, 39, 3: ab Aeduis, id. ib. 2, 14, 3: ab rege, Sall. J. 56, 3; cf. ib. 66: (consules) a senatu, a republica, a bonis omnibus defecerant, Cic. Planc. 35; cf.: a republica, id. Cat. 11, 28; id. Fam. 12, 10; id. Sull. 12, 35: ab imperio ac nomine nostro, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 31 et saep.: a patribus ad plebem, to go over, Liv. 6, 20: ad se, Sall. J. 61; cf.: ad Poenos, Liv. 22, 61.—Absol.: civitates quae defecerant, Caes. B. G. 3, 17, 2; 5, 25, 4; 7, 10 al.— B. Trop.:
si a virtute defeceris, forsake, Cic. Lael. 11, 37: si utilitas ab amicitia defecerit, id. Fin. 2, 24, 79: ut a me ipse deficerem, id. Fam. 2, 16.—Hence, II. As a verb. act., to leave a person or thing, to desert, to fail, forsake, be wanting to (of things;
very rarely of personal subjects): quem jam sanguis viresque deficiunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 50 fin.; so, vires, id. B. C. 3, 99 fin.; Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199: me Leontina civitas, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 46, § 110; id. ib. 2, 5, 28 fin.; Hor. S. 2, 1, 13 et saep.: res eos jam pridem, fides deficere nuper coepit, Cic. Cat. 2, 5, 10: me dies, vox, latera deficiant, si, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 21 (imitated word for word, Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 9); cf.: ne te de republica disserentem deficiat oratio, Cic. Rep. 1, 23; and: tempus te citius quam oratio deficeret, id. Rosc. Am. 32: animus si te non deficit aequus, Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 30: somnus sollicitas domus, Tib. 3, 4, 20: genitor Phaethontis orbem, i. e. is eclipsed (cf. III. B. infra), Ov. M. 2, 382.—Poet. with a subject-clause: nec me deficiet nautas rogitare citatos, i. e. I will not cease, etc. Prop. 1, 8, 23 Kuin.—b. Pass.:
cum aquilifer jam viribus deficeretur, Caes. B. C. 3, 64, 3; cf.: mulier a menstruis defecta, Cels. 2, 8 fin.: mulier abundat audacia, consilio et ratione deficitur, Cic. Clu. 65, 184: aqua ciboque defecti, Quint. 3, 8, 23; Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 25: sanguine defecti artus, Ov. M. 5, 96 et saep.: si qui dotem promisit defectus sit facultatibus, i. e. unable to pay, Dig. 23, 3, 33; cf.: te defecta nomina, ib. 22, 1, 11 fin.—III. Middle or neuter, to run out, be wanting, fail, cease, disappear.
A. Middle (mostly ante-class. and poet.).
(a). With dat.: mihi fortuna magis nunc defit, quam genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19; Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 2:
lac mihi non aestate novum, non frigore defit, Verg. E. 2, 22.— (b). Absol.:
neque opsonium defiat neque supersit, Plaut. Men. 1, 4, 3; so opp. superesse, Ter. Ph. 1, 3, 10: ut defiat dies, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 63: id. Mil. 4, 6, 46: numquamne causa defiet, cur? etc., Liv. 9, 11.—Trop.: defectis (sc. animo) defensoribus, disheartened, Caes. B. C. 3, 40, 3: sed non usque eo defectum Germanicum, weakened, Tac. A. 2, 70; cf. in the foll. no. B. β.—B. Neuter.
(a). With dat. (so rarely; mostly poet.):
cum non solum vires, sed etiam tela nostris deficerent, Caes. B. G. 3, 5, 1; so perh.: vires nostris, id. B. C. 2, 41, 7 (al. nostros); Sil. 8, 661 Oud. N. cr.; cf. id. 10, 10, 193; and Stat. Ach. 1, 445.—(b). Absol. (freq. in all periods and kinds of composition):
non frumentum deficere poterat, Caes. B. C. 2, 37 fin.; cf.: fructus ex arboribus, id. ib. 3, 58 fin.: ejus generis copia, id. B. G. 6, 16 fin.: tempus anni ad bellum gerendum, id. ib. 4, 20, 2: vereor, ne mihi crimina non suppeterent, ne oratio deesset, ne vox viresque deficerent, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 11: nisi memoria forte defecerit, id. Fin. 2, 14, 44; id. Rep. 1, 3: non deficiente crumena, Hor. Ep. 1, 4, 11 et saep.; Juv. 11, 38: quod plena luna defecisset, was eclipsed, Cic. Rep. 1, 15; cf.: solem lunae oppositum solere deficere, id. ib. 1, 16 al.; also simply to set: qua venit exoriens, qua deficit, Prop. 4, 4, 27: lunā deficiente, waning (opp. crescente), Gell. 20, 8, 5; of fire and light, to go out, expire, become extinct: ignis, Verg. G. 352: lumen, Petr. 111, 4: progenies Caesarum in Nerone deficit, becomes extinct, dies out, Suet. Galb. 1; cf. Plin. Pan. 39, 6; Just. 7, 2, 4; Sen. Suas. 2, 22; but deficit ignis, does not extend, Verg. A. 2, 505: in hac voce defecit, he departed, expired, Suet. Aug. 99; Quint. 6 prooem. § 11: deficit omne quod nascitur, comes to an end, Quint. 5, 10, 79; cf.: mundum deficere, id. ib.: deficit vita, Plaut. Asin. 3, 3, 19; quod multi Gallicis tot bellis defecerant, had been lost, Caes. B. C. 3, 2 fin.: ultima jam passi comites bello Deficiunt, grow faint, Ov. M. 14, 483: deficit Matho, fails, becomes bankrupt, Juv. 7, 129: debitores, Dig. 49, 14, 3, § 8: munimenta defecerant, yielded, surrendered, Curt. 4, 4, 19.—Trop.: ne negotio desisteret neu animo deficeret, nor be disheartened, Caes. B. C. 3, 112 fin.; so, animo, id. B. G. 7, 30; id. B. C. 1, 19; 2, 43; Cic. Rosc. Am. 4, 10; for which, ne deficiant (apes) animum, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 34; and in a like sense absol.: ne una plaga accepta patres conscripti conciderent, ne deficerent, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 9; so Caes. B. C. 2, 31 fin.; Sall. J. 51, 4: deficit ars, Ov. M. 11, 537: illis legibus populus Romanus prior non deficiet: si prior defexit publico consilio dolo malo, tu illo die, Juppiter, etc., to depart from, violate the conditions of a treaty, an old formula used in taking an oath, Liv. 1, 24 fin.: pugnando deficere, i. e. to be deficient, wanting, Caes. B. C. 2, 6, 3; cf. poet. with foll. inf.: suppeditare Materies, Lucr. 1, 1039; Sil. 3, 112; Tib. 4, 1, 191.— Hence, dēfectus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to no. III.), weak, weakened, worn out, enfeebled (not ante-Aug.): quod sibi defectis illa tulisset opem, Ov. F. 3, 674: defectus annis et desertus viribus, Phaedr. 1, 21, 3; cf.: defectissimus annis et viribus, Col. 1 prooem. § 12: senio (arbor), id. 5, 6, 37: laboribus, Val. Fl. 2, 285: vadit incerto pede, jam viribus defecta, Sen. Hippol. 374: defectae senectutis homine, Dig. 7, 1, 12, § 3: in tumidis et globosis (speculis) omnia defectiora (corresp. with paria and auctiora), smaller, App. Mag. p. 283.—Plur. subst.: dēfecti, ōrum, m.: sidera obscura attributa defectis, the weak, Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 28.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
dēficiō fēcī, fectus, ere (fut perf. defexit, old form. in L.—Pass., usu. deficior; dēfit, T., Enn. ap. C., V.; dēfierī, T.; dēfīet, L.)
de + facio.— Intrans, to withdraw, revolt, desert, fall off : civitates quae defecerant, Cs.: milites ne deficerent, S.: ab Aeduis, Cs.: a re p.: a patribus ad plebem, to go over , L.: ad Poenos, desert , L. — Of things, to be wanting, be absent, fail, cease, disappear, be lost, run out : non frumentum deficere poterat, Cs.: ex arboribus frons, Cs.: ne (mihi) vox viresque deficerent: non deficiente crumenā, H.: ne Deficeret navis, be overwhelmed , V.: quod plena luna defecisset, was eclipsed : ignem Deficere videbat, dying out , V.: quā deficit ignis, ceases to destroy , V.: Deficit ars, is exhausted , O.: nil apud me tibi defieri patiar, T.: Lac mihi non aestate novum defit, V.: nunquamne causa defiet, cur, etc.? L. — Of persons, to fail, sink, faint, be insufficient, be missing : quod multi Gallicis tot bellis defecerant, had been lost , Cs.: siquid deficias, i. e. need aid , T.: deficientibus animis, L.: O dubiis ne defice rebus, fail (me) in perplexity , V.— To fail, be bankrupt : Matho deficit, Iu.: te memorare, cease , Tb.—Fig., to withdraw, depart, forsake, be parted, abandon, desert : a virtute: si utilitas ab amicitiā defecerit.— To fail, be wanting, fall short : animo, be disheartened , Cs.: ne unā plagā acceptā patres deficerent: in limine primo, V.: illis legibus populus R. prior non deficiet, si prior defexit, etc., prove false, violate , L. (old form.): neque comminus pugnando deficiebant, Cs.—Trans, to leave, desert, fail, abandon (of things): cum vires nostros deficerent, Cs.: me Leontina civitas: me vox, latera deficiant, si, etc.: cum deficit orbom (Sol), is eclipsed , O.: sol defectus lumine, Tb.: si quem proles defecerit omnis, i. e. perish , V.: cum aquilifer a viribus deficeretur, Cs.: mulier ratione deficitur: animo defici, Cu.: defecta vigore cervix, O.: nec me deficiet rogitare, etc., nor will I fail , Pr.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*de
- Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
- Proto-Italic*dē
- Latindēficiō
Latin de- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁kyéti Proto-Italic *θakjō Proto-Italic *fakjō Latin facio Latin dēficiō From de- + facio.
Descendants
- Englishdefect
- Germandefektieren
- Portuguesedéfice
- Galiciandevecer
- Dutchdefecteren
- Swedishdefektera
- Cornishdyfygyafrom Proto-Brythonic *difɨgjɨd
- Welshdiffygiofrom Proto-Brythonic *difɨgjɨd
In English words that came into English from dēficiō
- defectdefectus
- deficientdeficiens
- defectordēfector
- defectiondēfectiō