verbfirst conjugation
exspectō
exspectō (present infinitive exspectāre, perfect active exspectāvī, supine exspectātum)
Classical[ɛks(ː)pɛk.toː]Ecclesiastical[eksˈspɛk.to]
№ 442 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to wait for, await
Exspectō quid velīs.
I am waiting: what is it you want?, or, I await your pleasure (what you wish).166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 34“Quō ruit? Extrēmum hoc miserae det mūnus amantī: exspectet facilemque fugam ventōsque ferentīs.” “Where is he hurrying? Let him grant this final favor to a wretched lover: May he wait for fair winds and an easier flight.” (Dido gives Anna the petition to Aeneas using the third-person jussive subjunctive: det, exspectet.)
29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.429–430 - to look for, expect
- to have need of, require
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
maneō dum veniat; nūntium exspectāmus.exspectō -āre — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs
maneō et ventūra timeōexspectō -āre — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 5
maneō dum veniatexspectō -āre — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 1
to wait
exspectō -āre — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 6, 7, 8, 10, 16, 17, 20, 23
waits
exspectat — in Seneca, ch. XVII
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Manere · Exspectare · Præstolari · Opperiri
1. Manere (from μένειν) denotes a mere physical act to remain in a place, till something has happened; whereas exspectare, præstolari, and opperiri, denote a mental act, to wait for, to wait in conscious expectation of some event, or of some person. 2. Exspectare denotes waiting for, almost as a mere mental act, as a feeling, without practical reference or accessory meaning; whereas præstolari and opperiri, with the accessory notion that the person waiting intends, after the arrival of the object waited for, to do something. 3. The præstolans (from παραστέλλεσθαι) waits for a person in order to perform services for him; the opperiens, for an occurrence, in order not to be taken by surprise. The præstolans stands in subordinate relation to the person waited for; the opperiens, in co-ordinate, whether as friend or foe. Lastly, præstolari is a prose expression; opperiri, a poetical, or at least, a select expression. For the German distinction between warten and harren, the former denoting calm, passionless waiting for, the latter, eager, impatient longing for, the Latins have no correspondent synonymes. (iii. 57.)
Conjugation conjugation 1
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | exspectō | exspectābam | exspectābō | exspectāvī | exspectāveram exspectāram | exspectāverō exspectārō |
| 2nd sg. | exspectās | exspectābās | exspectābis | exspectāvistī exspectāstī | exspectāverās exspectārās | exspectāveris exspectāris |
| 3rd sg. | exspectat | exspectābat | exspectābit | exspectāvit exspectāt | exspectāverat exspectārat | exspectāverit exspectārit |
| 1st pl. | exspectāmus | exspectābāmus | exspectābimus | exspectāvimus exspectāmus | exspectāverāmus exspectārāmus | exspectāverimus exspectārimus |
| 2nd pl. | exspectātis | exspectābātis | exspectābitis | exspectāvistis exspectāstis | exspectāverātis exspectārātis | exspectāveritis exspectāritis |
| 3rd pl. | exspectant | exspectābant | exspectābunt | exspectāvērunt exspectārunt, exspectāvēre | exspectāverant exspectārant | exspectāverint exspectārint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | exspectem | exspectārem | exspectāverim exspectārim | exspectāvissem exspectāssem |
| 2nd sg. | exspectēs | exspectārēs | exspectāverīs exspectārīs | exspectāvissēs exspectāssēs |
| 3rd sg. | exspectet | exspectāret | exspectāverit exspectārit | exspectāvisset exspectāsset |
| 1st pl. | exspectēmus | exspectārēmus | exspectāverīmus exspectārīmus | exspectāvissēmus exspectāssēmus |
| 2nd pl. | exspectētis | exspectārētis | exspectāverītis exspectārītis | exspectāvissētis exspectāssētis |
| 3rd pl. | exspectent | exspectārent | exspectāverint exspectārint | exspectāvissent exspectāssent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | exspector | exspectābar | exspectābor |
| 2nd sg. | exspectāris exspectāre | exspectābāris exspectābāre | exspectāberis exspectābere |
| 3rd sg. | exspectātur | exspectābātur | exspectābitur |
| 1st pl. | exspectāmur | exspectābāmur | exspectābimur |
| 2nd pl. | exspectāminī | exspectābāminī | exspectābiminī |
| 3rd pl. | exspectantur | exspectābantur | exspectābuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | exspecter | exspectārer |
| 2nd sg. | exspectēris exspectēre | exspectārēris exspectārēre |
| 3rd sg. | exspectētur | exspectārētur |
| 1st pl. | exspectēmur | exspectārēmur |
| 2nd pl. | exspectēminī | exspectārēminī |
| 3rd pl. | exspectentur | exspectārentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | exspectā | exspectāre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | exspectāte | exspectāminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | exspectātō | exspectātor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | exspectātō | exspectātor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | exspectātōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | exspectantō | exspectantor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | exspectāre | exspectārī |
| perfect infinitive | exspectāvisse exspectāsse | exspectātum esse |
| future infinitive | exspectātūrum esse | exspectātum īrī |
| present participle | exspectāns exspectante, exspectantem, exspectantēs, exspectantī, exspectantia, exspectantibus, exspectantis, exspectantīs, exspectantium | — |
| perfect participle | — | exspectātus exspectāta, exspectātā, exspectātae, exspectātam, exspectātārum, exspectātās, exspectātī, exspectātōrum, exspectātōs |
| future participle | exspectātūrus exspectātūra, exspectātūrā, exspectātūrae, exspectātūram, exspectātūrārum, exspectātūrās, exspectātūre, exspectātūrī, exspectātūrīs, exspectātūrō, exspectātūrōrum, exspectātūrōs, exspectātūrum | exspectandus |
gerundexspectandī, exspectandō, exspectandumsupineexspectātum, exspectātū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- suspenso animo exspectare aliquid
- to be waiting in suspense for...
ex-specto (expect-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.,
I. to look out for a thing (syn.: prospecto, opperior, maneo, moror, praestolor).
1. Objectively, to await, expect something that is to come or to take place, to be waiting for, etc. (very freq. and class.). —Constr. with the acc., with rel.-clauses, with dum, si, ut, quin, or absol.; very rarely with object-clause.
A. In gen.
1. With acc.:
caritatem, Cato, R. R. 3, 2: alicujus mortem, Plaut. As. 3, 1, 28: cum ea Scipio dixisset silentioque omnium reliqua ejus exspectaretur oratio, Cic. Rep. 2, 38: injurias, id. ib. 1, 5: transitum tempestatis, id. Att. 2, 21, 2: adventum alicujus, Caes. B. G. 1, 27, 2; 2, 16, 2: eventum pugnae, id. ib. 7, 49 fin.: scilicet ultima semper Exspectanda dies homini est, Ov. M. 3, 136: cenantes haud animo aequo Exspectans comites, i. e. waiting till they have done eating, Hor. S. 1, 5, 9 et saep.; cf.: exspectandus erit annus, I must wait a year, Juv. 16, 42. —2. With relative and esp. interrogative clauses: exspectabat populus atque ora tenebat rebus, utri magni victoria sit data regni, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. s. 90, ed. Vahl.):
exspecto, quo pacto, etc., Plaut. Poen. 4, 1, 1: exspecto, quid ad ista, Cic. Tusc. 4, 20, 46; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 38, § 92: quid hostes consilii caperent, exspectabat, Caes. B. G. 3, 24, 1: exspectante Antonio, quidnam esset actura, Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 121: ne utile quidem, quam mox judicium fiat, exspectare, Cic. Inv. 2, 28, 85; so, quid exspectas quam mox ego dicam, etc., id. Rosc. Com. 15, 44: et, quam mox signis collatis dimicandum sit, in dies exspectet, id. 34, 11, 4; 3, 37, 5: exspectans, quando, etc., Quint. 11, 3, 159.—3. With dum, si, ut, etc.:
ne exspectetis meas pugnas dum praedicem, Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 1: ne exspectemus quidem, dum rogemur, Cic. Lael. 13, 44: exspectas fortasse, dum dicat, etc., id. Tusc. 2, 7, 17: exspectare, dum hostium copiae augerentur, Caes. B. G. 4, 13, 2: nec dum repetatur, exspectat, Quint. 4, 2, 45: Caesar non exspectandum sibi statuit, dum, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 11 fin.; cf.: nec vero hoc loco exspectandum est, dum, etc., Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 19: rusticus exspectat, dum defluat amnis, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 42: jam dudum exspecto, si tuum officium scias, Plaut. Poen. prol. 12: exspecto si quid dicas, id. Trin. 1, 2, 61: hanc (paludem) si nostri transirent, hostes exspectabant, Caes. B. G. 2, 9, 1; id. B. C. 2, 34, 1: nisi exspectare vis ut eam sine dote frater conlocet, Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 7: mea lenitas hoc exspectavit, ut id quod latebat, erumperet, Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 27: nisi forte exspectatis ut illa diluam, quae, etc., id. Rosc. Am. 29, 82: neque exspectant, ut de eorum imperio ad populum feratur, Caes. ib. 1, 6, 6: quare nemo exspectet, ut, etc., Quint. 7, 10, 14; Liv. 23, 31, 7; 26, 18, 5; 35, 8, 5 al.—Pass. impers.: nec ultra exspectato, quam dum Claudius Ostiam proficisceretur, Tac. A. 11, 26 fin.: cum omnium voces audirentur, exspectari diutius non oportere, quin ad castra iretur, Caes. B. G. 3, 24 fin.—4. Absol.:
comites ad portam exspectare dicunt, Cic. Fam. 15, 17, 1: diem ex die exspectabam, ut statuerem, quid esset faciendum, id. Att. 7, 26, 3: exspectent paullum et agi ordine sinant, Quint. 4, 5, 19.—5. With object-clause:
cum expectaret effusos omnibus portis Aetolos in fidem suam venturos, Liv. 43, 22, 2 Weissenb. ad loc.: venturum istum, Aug. Conf. 5, 6.—* B. Transf., of an abstract subject, like maneo, to await:
seu me tranquilla senectus Exspectat seu, etc., Hor. S. 2, 1, 58.II. To look for with hope, fear, desire, expectation, to hope for, long for, expect, desire; to fear, dread, anticipate, apprehend.
1. With acc.:
reliquum est, ut tuam profectionem amore prosequar, reditum spe exspectem, Cic. Fam. 15, 21 fin.; cf.: quod magna cum spe exspectamus, id. Att. 16, 16 E. fin.: ego jam aut rem aut ne spem quidem exspecto, id. ib. 3, 22 fin.: magnum inceptas, si id exspectas, quod nusquam'st, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 56: quam (rem) avidissime civitas exspectat, Cic. Phil. 14, 1, 1: longiores (epistolas) exspectabo vel potius exigam, id. Fam. 15, 16, 1: finem laborum omnium, Caes. B. G. 7, 85, 4: illum ut vivat, optant, meam autem mortem exspectant scilicet, to wish, Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 20: fama mortis meae non accepta solum sed etiam exspectata est, Liv. 28, 27, 9; cf. in the pun with I.: cum Proculeius quereretur de filio, quod is mortem suam exspectaret, et ille dixisset, se vero non exspectare: Immo, inquit, rogo exspectes, Quint. 9, 3, 68 Spald.: nescio quod magnum hoc nuntio exspecto malum, dread, Ter. Ph. 1, 4, 16: mortem, id. Hec. 3, 4, 8: multis de causis Caesar majorem Galliae motum exspectans, Caes. B. G. 6, 1, 1: 7, 43 fin.—With a personal object: pater exspectat aut me aut aliquem nuntium, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 22: ite intro, filii vos exspectant intus, id. Bacch. 5, 2, 86: hic ego mendacem usque puellam Ad mediam noctem exspecto, Hor. S. 1, 5, 83; cf. Ov. M. 14, 418: video jam, illum, quem exspectabam, virum, cui praeficias officio et muneri, Cic. Rep. 2, 42.—2. Aliquid ab (rarely ex) aliquo (a favorite expression of Cicero):
a te hoc civitas vel omnes potius gentes non exspectant solum, sed etiam postulant, Cic. Fam. 11, 5, 3; cf. id. ib. 3, 10, 1: dixi Servilio, ut omnia a me majora exspectaret, id. ib. 3, 12, 4: alimenta a nobis, id. Rep. 1, 4: ab aliquo gloriam, id. ib. 6, 19 fin.: tristem censuram ab laeso, Liv. 39, 41, 2: ut ex iis (proletariis) quasi proles civitatis exspectari videretur, Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 40.—3. Aliquid ab or ex aliqua re (rare):
aliquid ab liberalitate alicujus, Caes. B. C. 2, 28, 3: dedecus a philosopho, id. Tusc. 2, 12, 28: omnia ex sua amicitia, id. ib. 3, 60, 1.—4. Aliquid aliquem (very rare): ne quid exspectes amicos, quod tute agere possies, Enn. ap. Gell. 2, 29; Sat. v. 38 Vahl.—
5. With object-clause:
quid mihi hic adfers, quam ob rem exspectem aut sperem porro non fore? Ter. Phorm. 5, 9, 36: exspecto cupioque te ita illud defendere, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 64, § 151.—With inf. alone (cf. cupio), Front. ad Ver. Imp. p. 137, ed. Rom.—6. Absol. (very rare):
cum mihi nihil improviso, nec gravius quam exspectavissem pro tantis meis factis evenisset, Cic. Rep. 1, 4: aliquando ad verum, ubi minime exspectavimus, pervenimus, Quint. 12, 8, 11.—B. Poet. transf., of an abstr. subject, to have need of, require:
silvarumque aliae pressos propaginis arcus Exspectant, Verg. G. 2, 27: neque illae (oleae) procurvam exspectant falcem rastrosque tenaces, id. ib. 2, 421; cf.: lenta remedia et segnes medicos non exspectant tempora mea, Curt. 3, 5, 13.—Hence, exspectātus (expect-), a, um, P. a. (acc. to II.), anxiously expected, longed for, desired, welcome (class.): carus omnibus exspectatusque venies, Cic. Fam. 16, 7; cf.: venies exspectatus omnibus, id. ib. 4, 10, 1; Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 11: quibus Hector ab oris exspectate venis? Verg. A. 2, 282: sensi ego in exspectatis ad amplissimam dignitatem fratribus tuis, who were expected to arrive at the highest dignities of the state, Cic. de Sen. 19, 68: ubi te exspectatum ejecisset foras, i. e. whose death is waited, longed for, Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 29 Ruhnk.—Comp.: nimis ille potuit exspectatior venire, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 12.—Sup.: adventus suavissimus exspectatissimusque, Cic. Att. 4, 4 a: litterae, id. Fam. 10, 5, 1: triumphus, Hirt. B. G. 8, 51 fin.—b. In the neutr. absol.:
quis non diversa praesentibus contrariaque exspectatis aut speret aut timeat? Vell. 2, 75, 2: hosti Ante exspectatum positis stat in agmine castris, before it was expected, Verg. G. 3, 348; so, ante exspectatum, Ov. M. 4, 790; 8, 5; Sen. Ep. 114: ille ad patrem patriae exspectato revolavit maturius, than was expected, Vell. 2, 123, 1.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
ex-spectō or expectō āvī, ātus, āre,
to look out for, await, wait for : diem ex die, ut statuerem: alius alium exspectantes, S.: eventum pugnae, Cs.: ultima semper Exspectandi dies homini est, O.: cenantes comites, i. e. till they have done eating, H.: seu me tranquilla senectus Exspectat, H.: exspectandus erit annus, I must wait a year, Iu.: quid velis, await your pleasure, T.: utri victoria sit data regni, Enn. ap. C.: quid hostes consili caperent, Cs.: quam mox comitia edicerentur, L.: dum cognatus veniret, T.: dum hostium copiae augerentur, Cs.: exspectem, libeat dum proelia Turno pati? V.: exspectavere eum fata, dum, etc., respited him, Cu.: quoad ne vestigium quidem relinquatur: si nostri transirent, hostes exspectabant, Cs.: mea lenitas hoc exspectavit, ut id erumperet: exspectaverant, uti consul comitia haberet, L.: exspectari diutius non oportere, quin iretur, there should be no delay in going, Cs.: Karthagine qui nunc Exspectat, loiters, V.: cum expectaret Aetolos in fidem suam venturos, L.—To hope for, long for, expect, desire, anticipate, fear, dread, apprehend: ubi te expectatum eiecisset foras, after waiting in hope of your death, T.: (rem) avidissime: finem laborum, Cs.: fama mortis meae exspectata est, L.: nescio quod exspecto malum, dread, T.: miseriis suis remedium mortem, S.: qui classem exspectabant, whose minds were fixed on, Ta.: Exspectate solo Laurenti, V.: ex suā amicitiā omnia: a te hoc: quae (pauca) ab suā liberalitate, Cs.: quam ob rem exspectem non fore? T.: te ita illud defendere: Silvarumque aliae pressos propaginis arcūs Exspectant, await, (for their growth), i. e. need, V.
Origins
From ex- (“out”) + spectō (“to look at”), frequentative of speciō (“to see”).
Descendants
- Italianaspettare
- Englishexpect
- Frenchexpectative
- Portugueseexpectar
- Spanishexpectar
- Emilianasptèr
- Galicianespeitar
- Neapolitanaspettare
- Sicilianaspittari
In English words that came into English from exspectō
- expectexpectāre
- expectationexspectātiō