LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird (-iō variant) conjugation

perspiciō

perspiciō (present infinitive perspicere, perfect active perspexī, supine perspectum)
Classical[pɛrˈspɪ.ki.oː]Ecclesiastical[perˈspiː.t͡ʃi.o]

Meaning

  1. to see through something
  2. to perceive or discern clearly

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

bene vīdērunt et cognōvērunt
see clearly, inspect
perspiciō -ere, -spexī — in De Bello Gallico II, ch. 5
plānē vidēret et cognōsceret
see clearly, inspect
perspiciō -ere, -spexī — in De Bello Gallico III, ch. 15

Conjugation

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.perspiciōperspiciēbamperspiciamperspexīperspexeramperspexerō
2nd sg.perspicisperspiciēbāsperspiciēsperspexistīperspexerāsperspexeris
3rd sg.perspicitperspiciēbatperspicietperspexitperspexeratperspexerit
1st pl.perspicimusperspiciēbāmusperspiciēmusperspeximusperspexerāmusperspexerimus
2nd pl.perspicitisperspiciēbātisperspiciētisperspexistisperspexerātisperspexeritis
3rd pl.perspiciuntperspiciēbantperspicientperspexērunt
perspexēre		perspexerantperspexerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.perspiciamperspiceremperspexerimperspexissem
2nd sg.perspiciāsperspicerēsperspexerīsperspexissēs
3rd sg.perspiciatperspiceretperspexeritperspexisset
1st pl.perspiciāmusperspicerēmusperspexerīmusperspexissēmus
2nd pl.perspiciātisperspicerētisperspexerītisperspexissētis
3rd pl.perspiciantperspicerentperspexerintperspexissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.perspiciorperspiciēbarperspiciar
2nd sg.perspiceris
perspicere		perspiciēbāris
perspiciēbāre		perspiciēris
perspiciēre
3rd sg.perspiciturperspiciēbāturperspiciētur
1st pl.perspicimurperspiciēbāmurperspiciēmur
2nd pl.perspiciminīperspiciēbāminīperspiciēminī
3rd pl.perspiciunturperspiciēbanturperspicientur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.perspiciarperspicerer
2nd sg.perspiciāris
perspiciāre		perspicerēris
perspicerēre
3rd sg.perspiciāturperspicerētur
1st pl.perspiciāmurperspicerēmur
2nd pl.perspiciāminīperspicerēminī
3rd pl.perspicianturperspicerentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.perspiceperspicere
pres. 2nd pl.perspiciteperspiciminī
fut. 2nd sg.perspicitōperspicitor
fut. 3rd sg.perspicitōperspicitor
fut. 2nd pl.perspicitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.perspiciuntōperspiciuntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveperspicereperspicī
perfect infinitiveperspexisseperspectum esse
future infinitiveperspectūrum esseperspectum īrī
present participleperspiciēns—
perfect participle—perspectus
perspecta, perspectā, perspectae, perspectam, perspectārum, perspectās, perspecte, perspectī, perspectīs, perspectō, perspectōrum, perspectōs
future participleperspectūrus
perspectūra, perspectūrā, perspectūrae, perspectūram, perspectūrārum, perspectūrās, perspectūre, perspectūrī, perspectūrīs, perspectūrō, perspectūrōrum, perspectūrōs, perspectūrum		perspiciendus
perspiciundus, perspicienda, perspiciendā, perspiciendae, perspiciendam, perspiciendārum, perspiciendās, perspiciende, perspiciendīs, perspiciendōrum, perspiciendōs
gerundperspiciendī, perspiciendō, perspiciendumsupineperspectum, perspectū

perspĭcĭo, spexi, spectum, 3, v. a.,
I. to look or see through, to look into, look at.
I. Lit.: quo non modo non intrari, sed ne perspici quidem posset, Caes. B. G. 2, 17: eas (epistulas) ego oportet perspiciam, corrigam: tum denique edentur, to look through, read through, Cic. Att. 16, 5, 5: ut prae densitate arborum perspici caelum vix posset, to look at the sky, Liv. 40, 22.—
B. Transf., to look closely at, to view, examine, inspect: domum, Cic. Fam. 5, 6, 3: villam, id. Mil. 20, 54: operis perspiciendi causā venire, Caes. B. G. 7, 44: minimis id granis constat, ut vix perspici quaedam possint, are scarcely visible, Plin. 17, 10, 14, § 71.—With a rel.-clause: perspicito prius, quid intus agatur, Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 24.— Neutr.: in legem, Vulg. Jacob. 1, 25.—
II. Trop., to perceive, note, observe, explore, prove, ascertain, etc.: res gestas funditus, Lucr. 1, 478: cum se ipse perspexerit, Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 59: sed tu perspice rem et pertenta, id. Q. Fr. 1, 4, 5; cf. id. de Or. 2, 78, 318: hoc, quaeso, perspicite atque cognoscite, id. Agr. 2, 35, 95: aliquid conjecturā, to guess, id. Imp. Pomp. 9, 26: cujus virtutem hostes, misericordiam victi, fidem ceteri perspexerunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 2, § 4: nollem accidisset tempus, in quo perspicere posses, quanti te facerem, id. Fam. 3, 10, 2: quidam saepe in parvā pecuniā perspiciuntur, quam sint leves, id. Lael. 17, 63: perpaucos, quorum in se fidem perspexerat, relinquere in Galliā decrevit, Caes. B. G. 5, 5: videbitis et non perspicietis, Vulg. Act. 28, 26.—With object-clause: perspicio nihili meam vos facere gratiam, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 68; cf. Cic. Fam. 1, 2, 2: perspiciebant enim in Hortensii sententiam multis partibus plures ituros, id. ib. 1, 2, 2.—Pass. with nom. and inf., Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 3.— Hence, perspectus, a, um, P. a., clearly perceived, evident, well known: ars rebus cognitis penitusque perspectis continetur, Cic. de Or. 1, 20, 92; cf. id. ib. 1, 23, 108; id. Fam. 1, 7, 2: virtus alicujus experta atque perspecta, id. Balb. 6, 16: benevolentia mihi perspectissima, id. Att. 3, 15.—Adv.: per-spectē, intelligently, sensibly: ut docte et perspecte sapit, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 162.

Origins

From per- (“through”) + speciō (“observe, watch, look at”).

Descendants
  • Englishperspective
  • Englishperspicacious
  • Englishperspicuous
  • Frenchperspectif
  • Frenchperspicace
  • Frenchperspicacité
  • Italianperspettiva
  • Italianperspicacia
  • Italianperspicace
  • Italianperspicacità

Quick answers

What does perspiciō mean in Latin?
perspiciō, a verb, means “to see through something; to perceive or discern clearly”.
What are the principal parts of perspiciō?
perspiciō, perspicere, perspexī (third (-iō variant) conjugation).
How do you pronounce perspiciō?
In classical Latin, [pɛrˈspɪ.ki.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [perˈspiː.t͡ʃi.o].