LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation, impersonal in the passive

dēsistō

dēsistō (present infinitive dēsistere, perfect active dēstitī, supine dēstitum)
Classical[deːˈsɪs.toː]Ecclesiastical[deˈs̬is.to]

Meaning

  1. impersonalto stand apart
  2. impersonalto cease, desist from (usually coupled with ablative)
    Consilio destiteruntDesisted from the planc. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico VII.26

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Desinere · Desistere

Desinere denotes only a condition in reference to persons, things, and actions, as, to cease; whereas desistere, an act of the will, of which persons only are capable, as to desist. (iii. 101.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.dēsistōdēsistēbamdēsistamdēstitīdēstiteramdēstiterō
2nd sg.dēsistisdēsistēbāsdēsistēsdēstitistīdēstiterāsdēstiteris
3rd sg.dēsistitdēsistēbatdēsistetdēstititdēstiteratdēstiterit
1st pl.dēsistimusdēsistēbāmusdēsistēmusdēstitimusdēstiterāmusdēstiterimus
2nd pl.dēsistitisdēsistēbātisdēsistētisdēstitistisdēstiterātisdēstiteritis
3rd pl.dēsistuntdēsistēbantdēsistentdēstitērunt
dēstitēre		dēstiterantdēstiterint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.dēsistamdēsisteremdēstiterimdēstitissem
2nd sg.dēsistāsdēsisterēsdēstiterīsdēstitissēs
3rd sg.dēsistatdēsisteretdēstiteritdēstitisset
1st pl.dēsistāmusdēsisterēmusdēstiterīmusdēstitissēmus
2nd pl.dēsistātisdēsisterētisdēstiterītisdēstitissētis
3rd pl.dēsistantdēsisterentdēstiterintdēstitissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.———
2nd sg.———
3rd sg.dēsistiturdēsistēbāturdēsistētur
1st pl.———
2nd pl.———
3rd pl.———
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.——
2nd sg.——
3rd sg.dēsistāturdēsisterētur
1st pl.——
2nd pl.——
3rd pl.——
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.dēsiste—
pres. 2nd pl.dēsistite—
fut. 2nd sg.dēsistitō—
fut. 3rd sg.dēsistitōdēsistitor
fut. 2nd pl.dēsistitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.dēsistuntō—
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivedēsisteredēsistī
perfect infinitivedēstitissedēstitum esse
future infinitivedēstitūrum essedēstitum īrī
present participledēsistēns—
perfect participle—dēstitum
dēstita, dēstitā, dēstitae, dēstitam, dēstitārum, dēstitās, dēstite, dēstitīs, dēstitō, dēstitōrum, dēstitōs, dēstitus
future participledēstitūrus
dēstitūra, dēstitūrā, dēstitūrae, dēstitūram, dēstitūrārum, dēstitūrās, dēstitūre, dēstitūrī, dēstitūrīs, dēstitūrō, dēstitūrōrum, dēstitūrōs, dēstitūrum		dēsistendum
dēsistundum
gerunddēsistendī, dēsistendō, dēsistendumsupinedēstitum, dēstitū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

consilio desistere
to give up a project, an intention.
(de) sententia desistere
to give up one's opinion.
incepto or conatu desistere
to give up one's project.

dē-sisto, stĭti, stĭtum, 3 (
I. perf. destitĕrunt, Lucr. 4, 975), v. a. and n. (for syn. v. desino init.).
I. Act., to set down: in scopulo puellam, Ap. M. 4, p. 157 (Anthol. Lat. 3, 174, 1).—
II. Neutr.
A. To stand off from a thing, to stand apart: quid tu tristis es? quid illa autem abs te irata destitit? Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 59.—
B. Hence, of an action, to leave off, cease, give over, desist from (freq. and class.).—Constr. with de, ab, or simple abl., the dat., the inf., quin, and absol. (in class. prose most freq. with the simple abl., or with the inf.): verbo de sententia destitisti, Cic. Tusc. 2, 12, 28: de illa mente, id. Fam. 5, 2, 8: de petitione, Liv. 37, 58, 1: de diutina contentione, Nep. Timoth. 2: a defensione, Caes. B. C. 2, 12, 4; Liv. 38, 28, 9: ab oppugnatione, Sall. J. 25 fin.: ab operibus suis, Vulg. Sirach, 16, 27: hoc conatu, Caes. B. G. 1, 8 fin.: conatu, id. B. C. 3, 26, 3: oppugnatione, id. B. G. 6, 39, 4; id. B. C. 2, 13: consilio, id. B. G. 7, 26 fin.: negotio, id. ib. 1, 45: itinere, id. ib. 5, 11: fuga, id. ib. 4, 12, 2 (with fugere, id. ib. 1, 53, v. the foll.): sententia, id. ib. 6, 4, 2; Cic. Off. 3, 3 fin.: causa, id. ib. 3, 31, 112: impio bello, Liv. 7, 40: incepto, id. 7, 5, 6; 25, 2, 7; Verg. A. 1, 37.—With dat., poet.: pugnae, id. ib. 10, 441: labori, Stat. Th. 5, 273.—With inf.: regem flagitare, Cic. Rep. 2, 12: de isdem scribere, id. Fin. 1, 2, 6 fin.: locupletare cives, id. ib. 2, 9: causas agere, id. Brut. 91, 314: mortem timere, id. Tusc. 1, 49, 117: pecuniam polliceri, Caes. B. G. 6, 2: Inachia furere, Hor. Epod. 11, 5: persequi aliquem, Vulg. 1 Reg. 23, 28 et saep.—With quin: neque, eam quin inveniam, desistam, Plaut. Rud. 1, 4, 9; Vatin. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 10.—Absol.: desiste; recte ego rem meam sapio, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 81; Lucr. 5, 825; Caes. B. G. 2, 11 fin.; Hor. S. 1, 3, 3 et saep.: ter in primo destitit ore sonus, stuck in my throat, Ov. H. 4, 8; cf. id. F. 2, 823: desistente auctumno, i. e. coming to a close, Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 8.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindēsistō

Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti Proto-Italic *sistō Latin sistō Latin dēsistō From dē- + sistō.

Descendants
  • Catalandesistir
  • Englishdesistfrom Middle French desister
  • Frenchdésisterfrom Middle French desister
  • Italiandesistere
  • Occitandesistir
  • Portuguesedesistir
  • Spanishdesistir
  • Galiciandesistir
  • Siciliandisìstiri

In English words that came into English from dēsistō

  • desistdēsistō

Quick answers

What does dēsistō mean in Latin?
dēsistō, a verb, means “to stand apart; to cease, desist from (usually coupled with ablative)”.
What are the principal parts of dēsistō?
dēsistō, dēsistere, dēstitī, dēstitum (third conjugation, impersonal in the passive).
How do you pronounce dēsistō?
In classical Latin, [deːˈsɪs.toː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [deˈs̬is.to].
Where does dēsistō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *de → Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ → Proto-Italic *dē → Latin dēsistō.