LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird (-iō variant) conjugation

recipiō

recipiō (present infinitive recipere, perfect active recēpī, supine receptum)
Classical[rɛˈkɪ.pi.oː]Ecclesiastical[reˈt͡ʃiː.pi.o]
№ 319 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. transitiveto take back, (i.e., regain possession of something)
  2. transitiveto recapture
    Ea tum cura maxime intentos habebat Romanos, non ab ira tantum, quae in nullam unquam civitatem iustior fuit, quam quod urbs tam nobilis ac potens, sicut defectione sua traxerat aliquot populos, ita recepta inclinatura rursus animos videbatur ad veteris imperii respectum.This concern in particular troubled the mindful Romans at the time, not so much because of anger, which has never been more justified against any other city, rather because a city so noble and powerful, in the same way that it had attracted the support of a number of communities by its revolt, was thought would again turn attention back towards respect for the previous government once recaptured.27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 26.1
  3. transitiveto receive, accept, admit
    accipere beneficium ab aliquoto receive favor from someone
    Numestium ex litteris tuis studiose scriptis libenter in amicitiam recepi.I have gladly received Numestius into friendship on account of your eagerly written letters.59 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum II.XX
  4. transitiveto take upon oneself, undertake, accept (esp. when done as a duty or under an obligation. Cf. suscipiō)
  5. reflexiveto retreat, withdraw, return
    Near-synonym: terga vertō
    Eorum impetum Galli sustinere non potuerunt atque in fugam coniecti multis amissis se ad agmen receperunt.The Gauls could not sustain their attack but were put to flight, and having lost a great number of men, retreated to their main body.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico VII.13
  6. transitiveto endure, tolerate, allow
  7. transitiveto rescue, secure, save

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

accipiō; suum rūrsus accipit.
recipiō -ere -cēpī — in Mille Verba, Thermae
ut servī, nōn ut līberī
take back; receive; (sē) retreat
recipiō -ere, -cēpī — in De Bello Gallico III, ch. 20

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Polliceri · Promittere · Spondere · Recipere

Polliceri; Promittere; Spondere; Recipere. Polliceri (from pro and loqui, λακεῖν) means to promise, generally from a free impulse, and as an act of obliging courtesy, like ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι; promittere, to promise, generally, at the request of another, as an act of agreement, and in reference to the fulfilment of the promise, like ὑπισχνεῖσθαι; spondere and despondere (μετὰ σπονδῶν) to promise in a solemn manner, as the consequence of a stipulation with judicially binding strength, as to pledge one’s self, ἐγγυᾶν; recipere, to take upon one’s self, and pass one’s word of honor, as an act of generosity, inasmuch as one sets at ease the mind of a person in trouble, like ἀναδέχεσθαι. The pollicens makes agreeable offers, the promittens opens secure prospects; the spondens gives legal security; the recipiens removes anxiety from another. Cic. Att. xiii. 1. Quoniam de æstate polliceris vel potius recipis; for the pollicens only engages his good-will, the recipiens undertakes to answer for consequences. Sen. Ep. 19; Jam non promittunt de te, sed spondent. Cic. Fam. vii. 5. Neque minus ei prolixe de tua voluntate promisi, quam eram solitus de mea polliceri; for with regard to Trebatius, Cicero could only express his hope, with regard to himself he could actually promise. (iv. 109.)

Sumere · Capere · Prehendere · Accipere · Excipere · Recipere · Suscipere · Recuperare

1. Sumere (sub-imere) means to take up any thing, in order to use it, like αἱρεῖν; capere (from κάπτειν) to lay hold on any thing, in order to possess it, like λαβεῖν; lastly prehendere, præhendere (from χανδάνειν) to lay hold on any thing, in order, in a mere physical sense, to have it in one’s hand. Cic. Phil. xii. 7. Saga sumpsimus, arma cepimus. 2. Accipere means to take any thing offered, with willingness, δέχεσθαι; excipere, to intercept, or catch any thing that is escaping, ὑποδέχεσθαι; recipere, to take any thing that wants protection, with a generous feeling; suscipere, to undertake, or take upon one’s self any thing burdensome, with self-denial. The accipiens usually takes in his hand; the excipiens, in his arms; the recipiens, in his bosom; the suscipiens, on his arm or back. 3. Recipere means to receive again, without taking pains; whereas recuperare, to regain by one’s own exertion. Liv. xiii. 53, urbem recipit, by merely taking possession; comp. with xxvi. 39, urbe recuperata, by conquest. (iv. 131.)

Conjugation

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.recipiōrecipiēbamrecipiamrecēpīrecēperamrecēperō
2nd sg.recipisrecipiēbāsrecipiēsrecēpistīrecēperāsrecēperis
3rd sg.recipitrecipiēbatrecipietrecēpitrecēperatrecēperit
1st pl.recipimusrecipiēbāmusrecipiēmusrecēpimusrecēperāmusrecēperimus
2nd pl.recipitisrecipiēbātisrecipiētisrecēpistisrecēperātisrecēperitis
3rd pl.recipiuntrecipiēbantrecipientrecēpērunt
recēpēre		recēperantrecēperint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.recipiamreciperemrecēperimrecēpissem
2nd sg.recipiāsreciperēsrecēperīsrecēpissēs
3rd sg.recipiatreciperetrecēperitrecēpisset
1st pl.recipiāmusreciperēmusrecēperīmusrecēpissēmus
2nd pl.recipiātisreciperētisrecēperītisrecēpissētis
3rd pl.recipiantreciperentrecēperintrecēpissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.recipiorrecipiēbarrecipiar
2nd sg.reciperis
recipere		recipiēbāris
recipiēbāre		recipiēris
recipiēre
3rd sg.recipiturrecipiēbāturrecipiētur
1st pl.recipimurrecipiēbāmurrecipiēmur
2nd pl.recipiminīrecipiēbāminīrecipiēminī
3rd pl.recipiunturrecipiēbanturrecipientur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.recipiarreciperer
2nd sg.recipiāris
recipiāre		reciperēris
reciperēre
3rd sg.recipiāturreciperētur
1st pl.recipiāmurreciperēmur
2nd pl.recipiāminīreciperēminī
3rd pl.recipianturreciperentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.reciperecipere
pres. 2nd pl.recipiterecipiminī
fut. 2nd sg.recipitōrecipitor
fut. 3rd sg.recipitōrecipitor
fut. 2nd pl.recipitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.recipiuntōrecipiuntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiverecipererecipī
perfect infinitiverecēpissereceptum esse
future infinitivereceptūrum essereceptum īrī
present participlerecipiēns
recipiente, recipientem, recipientēs, recipientī, recipientia, recipientibus, recipientis, recipientīs, recipientium		—
perfect participle—receptus
future participlereceptūrus
receptūra, receptūrā, receptūrae, receptūram, receptūrārum, receptūrās, receptūre, receptūrī, receptūrīs, receptūrō, receptūrōrum, receptūrōs, receptūrum		recipiendus
recipiundus
gerundrecipiendī, recipiendō, recipiendumsupinereceptum, receptū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

oppidum recipere
to retake a town.
more, usu receptum est
it is traditional usage.
se recipere (B. G. 7. 20)
to withdraw one's forces.
ad bonam frugem se recipere
to recover one's reason, be reasonable again.
animum recipere (Liv. 2. 50)
to take courage again.
in amicitiam alicuius recipi
to gain some one's friendship; to become intimate with.
equitatus tutum receptum dat
the cavalry covers the retreat.
se fuga recipere (B. G. 1. 11)
to save oneself by flight.
4 more phrases
in fidem recipere aliquem (Fam. 13. 16)
to deal mercifully with some one.
in fidem recipere aliquem (B. G. 2. 15. 1)
to take a person under one's protection.
in civitatem recipere, ascribere, asciscere aliquem
to enroll as a citizen, burgess.
tecto, (in) domum suam aliquem recipere (opp. prohibere aliquem tecto, domo)
to welcome to one's house (opp. to shut one's door against some one).

rĕ-cĭpĭo, cēpi, ceptum, 3 (
I. fut. apoc. recipie, for recipiam, Cato ap. Fest. p. 138 and 236 Müll.; v. dico init.: recepso, for recepero, Cat. 44, 19), v. a. capio.
I. To take back, get back, bring back; to retake, regain, recover.
A. Lit. (very freq. and class.): dandis recipiendisque meritis, Cic. Lael. 8, 26: tu me sequere ad trapezitam . . . recipe actutum, Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 49 (just before, ni argentum refers); cf.: centum talenta et credidisse eos constat, et non recepisse, Quint. 5, 10, 111; and (opp. mutuum dare) Mart. 3, 40, 4: si velit suos recipere, obsides sibi remittat, Caes. B. G. 3, 8 fin.: obsides, Suet. Aug. 21: reges, Liv. 2, 15: recepto amico, Hor. C. 2, 7, 27; 4, 2, 47. — Freq. of places, etc., once captured and lost, to retake: cum Tarento amisso ... aliquot post annos Maximus id oppidum recepisset ... nunquam ego (Tarentum) recepissem, nisi tu perdidisses, Cic. de Or. 2, 67, 273; cf. id. Sen. 4, 11: Lavinium, Liv. 2, 39; so of other things: recipere suas res amissas, Liv. 3, 63: praeda omnis recepta est, id. 3, 3: signa, quae ademerant Parthi, Suet. Tib. 9: arma, Liv. 9, 11; Curt. 4, 12, 17: pectore in adverso totum cui comminus ensem Condidit assurgenti, et multā morte recepit, drew out again, = retraxit, Verg. A. 9, 348; so, sagittam ab alterā parte, Cels. 7, 5, 2: suos omnes incolumes receperunt (sc. ex oppido in castra), drew off, withdrew, = reduxerunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 12 fin.; so, milites defessos, id. B. C. 1, 45 fin.: exercitum, Liv. 10, 42: equitatum navibus ad se intra munitiones, Caes. B. C. 3, 58: illum ego ... medio ex hoste recepi, bore away, rescued, Verg. A. 6, 111.—
b. With se, to draw back, withdraw from or to any place, to betake one's self anywhere; in milit. lang., to retire, retreat: se ex eo loco, Plaut. Aul. 4, 8, 10; cf.: se e fano, id. Poen. 4, 1, 5: se ex opere, id. Men. 5, 3, 7: se ex hisce locis, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 10, § 21: se e Siciliā, id. Brut. 92, 318: se ex fugā, Caes. B. G. 7, 20 fin.; id. B. C. 3, 102: se inde, id. B. G. 5, 15: se hinc, id. B. C. 1, 45 et saep.: recipe te, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 8: se, Cic. Off. 3, 10, 45 (just before, reverti); Caes. B. C. 3, 45 (coupled with loco excedere); 3, 46; cf.: sui recipiendi facultas, id. B. G. 3, 4 fin.; 6, 37; for which: se recipiendi spatium, Liv. 10, 28: recipe te ad erum, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 20: se ad dominum, id. ib. 4, 3, 1: se ad nos, Cic. Att. 4, 15, 2: se ad suos, Caes. B. G. 1, 46; 7, 82; id. B. C. 3, 38; 3, 50; 3, 52 fin.: se ad Caesarem (Allobroges, legati), id. B. G. 1, 11; 4, 38: se ad agmen, id. ib. 7, 13; id. B. C. 3, 75 fin.: se penitus ad extremos fines, id. B. G. 6, 10: se ad legionem, id. ib. 7, 50 fin.: se ad oppidum llerdam, id. B. C. 1, 45: se ad ordines suos, id. ib. 2, 41: se ad signa, id. B. G. 5, 34 fin.; id. B. C. 1, 43 fin.: se a pabulo ad stabulum, Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 33: inde se in currus, Caes. B. G. 4, 33 fin.: se ex castris in oppidum, id. B. C. 2, 35: se in castra, id. B. G. 2. 11 fin.; 2, 24; 3, 6; 3, 26 fin.; 4, 15 et saep.: se in fines, id. ib. 4, 16: se in Galliam, id. ib. 4, 19 fin.: se in montem, id. ib. 1, 25: se in antiquas munitiones, id. B. C. 3, 54 fin.: se in silvas ad suos, id. B. G. 2, 19: se in castra ad urbem, id. B. C. 2, 25; 2, 26; cf.: se retro in castra, Liv. 23, 36; and with this cf.: sese retro in Bruttios, id. 23, 37; and so, se, with rursus, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 25; id. Pers. 4, 5, 6; id. Rud. 4, 6, 19; Caes. B. G. 5, 34 fin.; id. B. C. 2, 41 et saep.: se in novissimos, Liv. 7, 40: se intra munitiones, Caes. B. G. 5, 44; cf.: se intra montes, id. B. C. 1, 65: se per declive, id. ib. 3, 51: se sub murum, id. ib. 2, 14: se trans Rhenum, id. B. G. 6, 41: se Larissam versus, id. B. C. 3, 97: se domum ex hostibus, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 52: se domum, id. ib. 2, 2, 31; id. Capt. 1, 2, 25; id. Aul. 2, 1, 55: se Adrumetum, Caes. B. C. 2, 23: se Hispalim, id. ib. 2, 20: se Dyrrhachium ad Pompeium, id. ib. 3, 9 fin.: se illuc, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 10; id. Merc. 5, 2, 40; id. Ps. 3, 1, 23 al.; cf.: se huc esum ad praesepim suam, id. Curc. 2, 1, 13: se eo, Caes. B. G. 1, 25 et saep. — In the same meaning, without se: neque sepulcrum, quo recipiat, habeat portum corporis, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 107 (Trag. v. 415 Vahl.); cf. of a military retreat: si quo erat longius prodeundum aut celerius recipiendum, Caes. B. G. 1, 48 fin.; so without se after the verbum finitum several times in Plaut.: rursum in portum recipimus, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 60: dum recipis, id. Rud. 3, 6, 42: actutum face recipias, id. Merc. 2, 4, 30. —
2. Transf.
(a). In business lang., to keep back, retain, reserve (cf. Gell. 17, 6, 6): posticulum hoc recepit, quom aedis vendidit, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 157; so in a sale, Crassus ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 55, 226; Cic. Top. 26, 100; Dig. 19, 1, 53; 8, 4, 10: mulier magnam dotem dat et magnam pecuniam recipit, Cato ap. Gell. 17, 6, 8. — With object-clause, Cato, R. R. 149, 2. — With dat.: aqua, itinere, actu domini usioni recipitur, Cato, R. R. 149, 2.—
(b). To restore (late Lat.): urbem munitissimam, to fortify anew, Amm. 16, 3, 2. —
B. Trop., to get back, bring back; to receive again, regain, recover: ut antiquam frequentiam recipere vastam ac desertam bellis urbem paterentur, Liv. 24, 3: jus, Quint. 5, 10, 118: et totidem, quot dixit, verba recepit, got back, Ov. M. 3, 384: quam (vitam) postquam recepi, received again, id. ib. 15, 535: anhelitum, to recover one's breath, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 21; id. Merc. 3, 4, 16; cf. spiritum, Quint. 11, 3, 55: animam, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 26; Quint. 6, prooem. § 13;: a tanto pavore recipere animos, Liv. 21, 5, 16 Weissenb.: a pavore animum, id. 2, 50, 10: e pavore recepto animo, id. 44, 10, 1; for which: animos ex pavore, id. 21, 5 fin.: recepto animo, Curt. 6, 9, 2; 9, 5, 29: animum vultumque, Ov. F. 4, 615: mente receptā, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 104: (vocem) ab acutissimo sono usque ad gravissimum sonum recipere, to bring it back, Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 251. — In zeugma (cf. I. A. supra): arma et animos, Curt. 4, 12, 17.—
b. With se.
(a). To betake one's self, withdraw, retire from or to any place: ad ingenium vetus versutum te recipis tuum, Plaut. As. 2, 1, 7: ad frugem bonam, Cic. Cael. 12, 28: ad reliquam cogitationem belli, Caes. B. C. 3, 17 fin.: se a voluptatibus in otium, Plin. Pan. 82, 8: se in principem, to resume his princely air, id. ib. 76, 5.— More freq.,
(b). To recover, to collect one's self: difficulter se recipiunt, regain strength, Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 17: quae cum intuerer stupens, ut me recepi, Quis hic, inquam, etc., Cic. Rep. 6, 18, 18: nullum spatium respirandi recipiendique se dedit, Liv. 10, 28: se ex terrore ac fugā, Caes. B. G. 2, 12: se ex timore, id. ib. 4, 34: se ex fugā, id. ib. 4, 27: nondum totā me mente recepi, Ov. M. 5, 275.
II. (Acc. to re, I. b.) To take to one's self, admit, accept, receive; constr. with the simple acc., with ad, or in and acc., in and abl., with simple abl., with a local acc.
A. Lit.
(a). With simple acc.: quos homines quondam Laurentis terra recepit, Enn. ap. Prisc. p 762 P. (Ann. v. 35 Vahl.): (ego) excludor, ille recipitur, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 79: aliquem, Cic. Off. 3, 11, 48: hic nulla munitio est, quae perterritos recipiat, Caes. B. G. 6, 39; cf.: hos tutissimus portus recipiebat, id. B. C. 3, 27; 1, 15; cf. id. ib. 3, 11 fin.; 3, 35: eum Jugurtha accuratissime recepit, Sall. J. 16, 3: neque quisquam aut expulsus invidiosius aut receptus est laetius, Vell. 2, 45, 3; Quint. 7, 1, 14; 9, 2, 89: nisi nos vicina Trivici Villa recepisset, Hor. S. 1, 5, 80 et saep.: quisnam istic fluvius est, quem non recipiat mare? Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 86; cf. Caes. B. G. 4, 10; and: (Peneus) accipit amnem Orcon nec recipit, i. e. does not take it to itself, does not mingle with it, Plin. 4, 8, 15, § 31: equus frenum recepit, received, submitted to, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 36: necesse erat, ab latere aperto tela recipi, Caes. B. G. 5, 35. —
(b). With ad: recipe me ad te, Plaut. Cist. 3, 9; id. Am. 3, 2, 11; id. Rud. 2, 3, 20; id. Ps. 3, 6, 6; Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 6; Suet. Caes. 63: aliquem ad epulas, Cic. Top. 5, 25; cf.: ad lusum, Suet. Ner. 11. —
(g). With in and acc.: recipe me in tectum, Plaut. Rud. 2, 7, 16: concubinam in aedes, id. Mil. 4, 3, 3: nos in custodiam tuam, id. Rud. 3, 3, 34: Tarquinium in civitatem, Cic. Rep. 2, 20, 35; id. Balb. 13, 31; Liv. 2, 5; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 6: aliquem in ordinem senatorium, Cic. Phil. 7, 5, 15: aliquem in fidem, id. Fam. 13, 19, 2; id. Att. 15, 14, 3; Caes. B. G. 2, 15; 4, 22: aliquem in civitatem, Cic. Balb. 12, 29: aliquem in caelum, id. N. D. 3, 15, 39: aliquem in deditionem, Caes. B. G. 3, 21 fin.; Liv. 8, 13; Suet. Calig. 14 al.: aliquem in jus dicionemque, Liv. 21, 61: aliquem in amicitiam, Sall. J. 14, 5; 5, 4 Kritz N. cr.: aliquam in matrimonium, Suet. Caes. 50; Just. 9, 5, 9 et saep. —
(d). With in and abl. (rare and in purely local relations; v. Kritz ad Sall. J. 5, 4): aliquem in loco, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 3: loricati in equis recipiuntur, Auct. B. Hisp. 4, 2: sidera in caelo recepta, Ov. M. 2, 529 (but in Liv. 24, 32, 6, the correct read. is tuto Hexapylo, without in; v. Weissenb. ad h. l.). — (ε) With simple abl. (mostly in purely local relations): ut tuo recipias tecto servesque nos, Plaut. Rud. 1, 5, 18; so, aliquem tecto, Caes. B. G. 7, 66 fin.: exercitum tectis ac sedibus suis, Cic. Agr. 2, 33, 90: aliquem suis urbibus, id. Fl. 25, 61: aliquem civitate, id. Balb. 14, 32: aliquem finibus suis, Caes. B. G. 6, 6; 7, 20 fin.: aliquem oppido ac portu, id. B. C. 3, 12; 3, 102 fin.: aliquem moenibus, Sall. J. 28, 2: Romulus caelo receptus, Quint. 3, 7, 5: receptus Terra Neptunus, Hor. A. P. 63 et saep. — (ζ) With local acc.: me Acheruntem recipere Orcus noluit, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 68: aliquem domum suam, Cic. Arch. 3, 5; cf.: aliquem domum ad se hospitio, Caes. B. C. 2, 20.— (η) Absol.: plerosque hi, qui receperant, celant, Caes. B. C. 1, 76.—
2. Transf.
a. In business lang., to take in, receive as the proceeds of any thing: dena milia sestertia ex melle, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 11: pecuniam ex novis vectigalibus, Cic. Agr. 2, 23, 62: pecunia, quae recipi potest, id. ib. 2, 18, 47. —
b. In gladiator's lang.: recipe ferrum, receive your death-blow, the cry of the people to a vanquished gladiator whom they were not inclined to spare, Cic. Sest. 37, 80; id. Tusc. 2, 17, 41 Kühn.; Sen. Tranq. 11, 1; for which: totum telum corpore, Cic. Rosc. Am. 12, 33; and: ense recepto, Luc. 2, 194 Corte.—
c. Milit. t. t., to seize, capture, take possession of, occupy: mittit in Siciliam Curionem pro praetore cum legionibus duo; eundem, cum Siciliam recepisset, etc., Caes. B. C. 1, 30: Praeneste non vi, sed per deditionem receptum est, Liv. 6, 29: Aegyptum sine certamine, Just. 11, 11, 1: eo oppido recepto, Caes. B. G. 7, 13 fin.: civitatem, id. ib. 6, 8; 7, 90; id. B. C. 1, 12; 1, 16; 1, 30; 3, 16: Aetoliam, id. ib. 3, 55: rempublicam armis, Sall. C. 11, 4: Alciden terra recepta vocat, the subjugated earth, Prop. 5, 9, 38. —
d. In the later medical lang., of medicines, to receive, i. e. be compounded of various ingredients: antidotos recipit haec: stoechados, marrubii, etc., Scrib. Comp. 106; so id. ib. 27; 28; 37; 52 al. (hence the mod. Lat. receptum, receipt, and recipe).—
B. Trop.
1. To take to or upon one's self, to assume; to receive, accept, admit, allow, ἐνδέχομαι: non edepol istaec tua dicta nunc in aures recipio, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 34; cf. Quint. 11, 1, 91: jusjurandum, id. 5, 6, 1; 3; cf. id. 7, 1, 24: in semet ipsum religionem recipere, to draw upon one's self, Liv. 10, 40: quae legibus cauta sunt, quae persuasione in mores recepta sunt, admitted, Quint. 5, 10, 13; cf. id. 10, 7, 15: antiquitas recepit fabulas . . . haec aetas autem respuit, Cic. Rep. 2, 10; cf. Quint. 6, 4, 19: nec inconstantiam virtus recipit nec varietatem natura patitur, Cic. Rep. 3, 11, 18; cf. Vell. 2, 130, 3: non recipit istam Conjunctionem honestas, Cic. Off. 3, 33, 119: assentatio nocere nemini potest, nisi ei, qui eam recipit atque eă delectatur, id. Lael. 26, 97: timor misericordiam non recipit, Caes. B. G. 7, 26: casus recipere (res), to admit, be liable to, id. B. C. 1, 78; so, aliquem casum (res), id. ib. 3, 51: re jam non ultra recipiente cunctationem, Liv. 29, 24; Vell. 2, 52, 3: sed hoc distinctionem recipit, Just. Inst. 1, 12 pr.: si recipiatur poëtica fabulositas, Plin. 7, 28, 29, § 101: in hoc genere prorsus recipio hanc brevem annotationem, Quint. 10, 7, 31; cf. id. 8, 3, 31: nos necessarios maxime atque in usum receptos (tropos) exequemur, id. 8, 6, 2; cf. id. 8, 6, 32; 5, 11, 20; 11, 3, 104; so with a subj.-clause, id. 1, 3, 14; 6, 3, 103; Plin. 28, 2, 5, § 24 al.—
(b). Of opinions, etc., to adopt, embrace (late Lat.): alicujus sententiam, Sulp. Sev. Chron. 2, 39, 1: opinionem, id. Dial. 1, 17, 5.—
2. In partic.
a. To take upon one's self, undertake, accept the performance of a task consigned or intrusted to one (whereas suscipio denotes, in gen., the voluntary undertaking of any action; cf.: spondeo, stipulor, polliceor): recepi causam Siciliae ... ego tamen hoc onere suscepto et receptā causā Siciliensi amplexus animo sum aliquanto amplius. Suscepi enim causam totius ordinis, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 1, § 1: in hoc judicio mihi Siculorum causam receptam, populi Romani susceptam esse videor, id. Div. in Caecil. 8, 26; and: in quo est illa magna offensio vel neglegentiae susceptis rebus vel perfidiae receptis, id. de Or. 2, 24, 101; cf. also Quint. 12, 1, 39: verebamini, ne non id facerem, quod recepissem semel? Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 9: causam Sex. Roscii, Cic. Rosc. Am. 1, 2: mandatum, id. ib. 38, 112: officium, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 71, § 183: curam ad se, Suet. Tit. 6.—
b. To take an obligation upon one's self, to pledge one's self, pass one's word, be surety for a thing, to warrant, promise, engage a thing to any one, = ἀναδέχομαι (a favorite word of Cic., esp. in his Epistles): Pe. Tute unus si recipere hoc ad te dicis ... Pa. Dico et recipio Ad me, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 74; cf.: ad me recipio: Faciet, Ter. Heaut. 5, 5, 12: promitto in meque recipio, fore eum, etc., Cic. Fam. 13, 10, 3; cf.: spondeo in meque recipio eos esse, etc., id. ib. 13, 17, 3.—With obj.-clause: promitto, recipio, spondeo, C. Caesarem talem semper fore civem, qualis hodie sit, Cic. Phil. 5, 18, 51; so with hoc, id. Fam. 13, 50, 2 (with spondeo); 6, 12, 3; 13, 41, 2 (with confirmo); id. Att. 5, 13, 2; Caecin. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 4; Liv. 7, 14 Drak.; 33, 13 fin.: pro Cassio et te, si quid me velitis recipere, recipiam, Cic. Fam. 11, 1, 4. — With de: de aestate polliceris vel potius recipis, Cic. Att. 13, 1, 2; Liv. 40, 35; cf. also: sed fidem recepisse sibi et ipsum et Appium de me, had given him a solemn assurance, Cic. Att. 2, 22, 2.— With dat. (after the analogy of promitto, polliceor, spondeo): ea, quae tibi promitto ac recipio, Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 5; cf.: omnia ei et petenti recepi et ultro pollicitus sum, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 1; 7, 1: mihi, id. ib. 10, 13, 3; Caes. B. C. 3, 82 fin.: quid sibi is de me recepisset, in memoriam redegit, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 9.—With dat. and obj.-clause: mihi in Cumano diligentissime se, ut annui essemus, defensurum receperat, Cic. Att. 5, 17, 5; so, id. Fam. 6, 12, 3 Manut. (with confirmare); 13, 72, 1; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 17, 1; Caes. B. C. 3, 17; Suet. Caes. 23 fin.—
c. In jurid. lang.: recipere nomen, of the prætor, to receive or entertain a charge against one, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 38, § 94; 2, 2, 42, § 102; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 2; Val. Max. 3, 7, 9; for which: recipere reum, Tac. A. 2, 74 fin.; 4, 21: aliquem inter reos, id. ib. 3, 70; 13, 10. —Hence,
A. rĕceptus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to II. B. 1.), received, usual, current, customary (post-class. and very rare): auctoritas receptior, Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 5: scriptores receptissimi, Sol. praef.—
B. rĕceptum, i, n. subst. (acc. to II. B. 2. b.), an engagement, obligation, guaranty: satis est factum Siculis, satis promisso nostro ac recepto, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 53, § 139; cf.: promissum et receptum intervertit, id. Phil. 2, 32, 79.

Origins

From re- + capiō (“take, seize”), with characteristic vowel reduction of unstressed /a/ in Old Latin (< *récapiō).

Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesereceberfrom Old Galician-Portuguese receber
  • Spanishrecibir
  • Spanishrecebir
  • Asturianrecibir
  • Galicianreceberfrom Old Galician-Portuguese receber
  • Galicianrecibirfrom Spanish recibir
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanrebrefrom Old Catalan recebre
  • Occitanrecebrefrom Old Occitan recebre
  • Franco-Provençalrecêvre
  • Old Frenchrecevoir
  • Old Frenchreceivre
  • Old Frenchreçoivre
  • Gasconrecéberfrom Old Occitan recebre
  • Gasconarrecéberfrom Old Occitan recebre
  • Gasconarcéberfrom Old Occitan recebre
Borrowings
  • Italianrecepire
  • Romanianrecepe
  • Piedmonteserecepìfrom Italian recepire
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianrecire
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianricevere
  • Sicilianricìviri
  • Sicilianarricìviri
  • Venetanriséver
  • Venetanrisevar
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianricevi
  • Ladinrezever
  • Romanshretschaiver
  • Romanshretscheiver
  • Romanshratschever
  • Romanshretschever
  • Romanshartschaiver
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianarzàvver
  • Ligurianriçéive
  • Piedmontesearsèive

In English words that came into English from recipiō

  • receiverecipiō
  • receiptreceptus
  • receptionreceptiō
  • recipientrecipiēns
  • recoverrecupero
  • reciperecipe
  • receptaclereceptāculum
  • receptivereceptivus
  • receptorreceptōrius
  • recuperaterecupero
  • resetreceptus
  • receptreceptum
  • receptiblereceptibilis
  • resetterreceptātor
  • receptaculumreceptaculum

Quick answers

What does recipiō mean in Latin?
recipiō, a verb, means “to take back, (i.e., regain possession of something); to recapture; to receive, accept, admit”.
What are the principal parts of recipiō?
recipiō, recipere, recēpī (third (-iō variant) conjugation).
How do you pronounce recipiō?
In classical Latin, [rɛˈkɪ.pi.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [reˈt͡ʃiː.pi.o].
Which English words come from recipiō?
English words that go back to Latin recipiō include receive, recipient, receipt, reception, recover and recipe.