LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation

repetō

repetō (present infinitive repetere, perfect active repetīvī or repetiī, supine repetītum)
Classical[ˈrɛ.pɛ.toː]Ecclesiastical[ˈrɛː.pe.to]
№ 651 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to attack again; to go back to
    Macra cavum repetes artum quem macra subistiThin, you will return to the narrow cave that you entered thin20 BCE – 14 BCE, Horatius, Epistulae 1.7
  2. to recommence, resume, renew or repeat an action
    tunc repetam, nunc mē grandius urget opusThen, I will resume [that theme]; now, much greater work impels me. (Ovid concludes Book Four, having briefly introduced Flora (mythology) and her festival, which the poet will feature in Book Five.)8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 4.948
  3. to recount, to recall, to recollect
    cum repetō noctem, quā tot mihi cāra relīquīwhen I recall that night when I left so much8 CE – 12 CE, Ovidius, Tristia 1.3.3
  4. to demand, claim, reclaim
    res repetereto demand the redress / to seek redress
    hoc tum modo [...] repetitae resThen in this manner the redress having been sought27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 1.32

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

iterum dīcō vel petō; discipulī verba magistrī repetunt.
repetō -ere repetīvī — in Mille Verba, Schola

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Iterum · Rursus · Denuo · De integro · Repetere · Integrare

1. Iterum (ἕτερον) means, like δεύτερον, a second time; rursum or rursus, (revorsus) like αὖθις and πάλιν, again, once more; denuo (de novo) like νέοθεν, anew; de integro, like αὖθις ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς, quite afresh. Justin. xxi. 4, 6. Hoc consilio præventus iterum servitia concitat, statutaque rursus cædium die, quum denuo se proditum videret. 2. In the same manner pugnam iterare, Liv. vi. 32, means to join battle a second time; pugnam repetere, x. 36, to repeat the battle; pugnam renovare, Cæs. B. G. iii. 20, to renew the battle; and pugnam integrare, Liv. vii. 7, to begin the battle again quite from the beginning. Aut. Herenn. ii. 3, 47. Enumeratio est per quam colligimus et commonemus quibus de rebus verba fecerimus, breviter, ut renovetur, non redintegretur oratio. (i. 184.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.repetōrepetēbamrepetamrepetīvī
repetiī		repetīveram
repetīram, repetieram		repetīverō
repetīrō, repetierō
2nd sg.repetisrepetēbāsrepetēsrepetīvistī
repetīstī, repetiistī		repetīverās
repetīrās, repetierās		repetīveris
repetīris, repetieris
3rd sg.repetitrepetēbatrepetetrepetīvit
repetīt, repetiit		repetīverat
repetīrat, repetierat		repetīverit
repetīrit, repetierit
1st pl.repetimusrepetēbāmusrepetēmusrepetīvimus
repetīmus, repetiimus		repetīverāmus
repetīrāmus, repetierāmus		repetīverimus
repetīrimus, repetierimus
2nd pl.repetitisrepetēbātisrepetētisrepetīvistis
repetīstis, repetiistis		repetīverātis
repetīrātis, repetierātis		repetīveritis
repetīritis, repetieritis
3rd pl.repetuntrepetēbantrepetentrepetīvērunt
repetīrunt, repetīvēre, repetiērunt, repetiēre		repetīverant
repetīrant, repetierant		repetīverint
repetīrint, repetierint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.repetamrepeteremrepetīverim
repetīrim, repetierim		repetīvissem
repetīssem, repetiissem
2nd sg.repetāsrepeterēsrepetīverīs
repetīrīs, repetierīs		repetīvissēs
repetīssēs, repetiissēs
3rd sg.repetatrepeteretrepetīverit
repetīrit, repetierit		repetīvisset
repetīsset, repetiisset
1st pl.repetāmusrepeterēmusrepetīverīmus
repetīrīmus, repetierīmus		repetīvissēmus
repetīssēmus, repetiissēmus
2nd pl.repetātisrepeterētisrepetīverītis
repetīrītis, repetierītis		repetīvissētis
repetīssētis, repetiissētis
3rd pl.repetantrepeterentrepetīverint
repetīrint, repetierint		repetīvissent
repetīssent, repetiissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.repetorrepetēbarrepetar
2nd sg.repeteris
repetere		repetēbāris
repetēbāre		repetēris
repetēre
3rd sg.repetiturrepetēbāturrepetētur
1st pl.repetimurrepetēbāmurrepetēmur
2nd pl.repetiminīrepetēbāminīrepetēminī
3rd pl.repetunturrepetēbanturrepetentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.repetarrepeterer
2nd sg.repetāris
repetāre		repeterēris
repeterēre
3rd sg.repetāturrepeterētur
1st pl.repetāmurrepeterēmur
2nd pl.repetāminīrepeterēminī
3rd pl.repetanturrepeterentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.repeterepetere
pres. 2nd pl.repetiterepetiminī
fut. 2nd sg.repetitōrepetitor
fut. 3rd sg.repetitōrepetitor
fut. 2nd pl.repetitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.repetuntōrepetuntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiverepetererepetī
perfect infinitiverepetīvisse
repetīsse, repetiisse		repetītum esse
future infinitiverepetītūrum esserepetītum īrī
present participlerepetēns—
perfect participle—repetītus
repetīta, repetītā, repetītae, repetītam, repetītārum, repetītās, repetītī, repetītōrum, repetītōs
future participlerepetītūrus
repetītūra, repetītūrā, repetītūrae, repetītūram, repetītūrārum, repetītūrās, repetītūre, repetītūrī, repetītūrīs, repetītūrō, repetītūrōrum, repetītūrōs, repetītūrum		repetendus
repetundus, repetenda, repetendā, repetendae, repetendam, repetendārum, repetendās, repetende, repetendīs, repetendōrum, repetendōs
gerundrepetendī, repetendō, repetendumsupinerepetītum, repetītū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

res repetere
to demand restitution, satisfaction.
originem verbi repetere a...
to derive a word from... (used of an etymologist).
memoriam alicuius rei repetere
to recall to mind a thing or person.
poenam petere, repetere ab aliquo
to exact a penalty from some one.
res repetere (ab aliquo) (Off. 1. 11. 36)
to demand satisfaction, restitution.
oratio longius repetita (De Or. 3. 24. 91)
a rather recondite speech.
a Socrate exemplum virtutis petere, repetere
to quote Socrates as a model of virtue.
causa repetenda est ab aliqua re (not quaerenda)
the motive, cause, is to be found in...
4 more phrases
poenas alicuius or alicuius rei repetere ab aliquo
to revenge oneself on another for a thing or on some one's behalf.
longe, alte (longius, altius) repetere (either absolute or ab aliqua re)
to go a long way back (in narrative).
repetere ab ultima (extrema, prisca) antiquitate (vetustate), ab heroicis temporibus
to go back to the remote ages.
exempla petere, repetere a rerum gestarum memoria or historiarum (annalium, rerum gestarum) monumentis
to borrow instances from history.

rĕ-pĕto, īvi or ĭi, ītum, 3, v. a.,
I. to fall upon or attack again or anew, to strike again (syn. repercutio).
I. Lit. (in gen. not till after the Aug. per.): regem repetitum saepius cuspide ad terram affixit, after he had repeatedly attacked him, Liv. 4, 19; cf.: mulam calcibus et canem morsu, Sen. Ira, 3, 27, 1: repetita per ilia ferrum, Ov. M. 4, 733; 6, 562.— Absol.: bis cavere, bis repetere, to attack twice, Quint. 5, 13, 54: signum erat omnium, Repete! strike again, Suet. Calig. 58: ad Nolam armis repetendam, Liv. 9, 28: repetitus toxico, id. Claud. 44. —
B. In partic.
1. To prosecute again: condicione propositā, ut, si quem quis repetere vellet, par periculum poenae subiret, Suet. Aug. 32; id. Dom. 8 and 9; Dig. 48, 2, 3; 48, 16, 10; 15.—
2. To seek again; to go back to, return to, revisit a person or thing.
(a). With acc.: fratresque virumque, Ov. H. 3, 143: Nearchum, Hor. C. 3, 20, 6: Penates, ab orā Hispanā, id. ib. 3, 14, 3: viam, quā venisset, to retrace, Liv. 35, 28; cf. id. 9, 2, 8: castra, id. 31, 21; Suet. Tib. 12: domum, Hor. C. 1, 15, 6; Ov. P. 4, 4, 41; id. M. 3, 204: patriam, id. H. 18, 123; Just. 32, 3, 7: Africam, Liv. 25. 27: locum, id. 3, 63: retro Apuliam, id. 22, 18; cf. id. 31, 45 fin.; 40, 58 fin.: rursus Bithyniam, Suet. Caes. 2: urbem atque ordinem senatorium, id. Vit. 1: paludes, Hor. C. 3, 27, 9: cavum, id. Ep. 1, 7, 33: praesepia, Verg. E. 7, 39: urbem, id. A. 2, 749: Macedoniam, Nep. Eum. 6, 1: pugnam (shortly before, redire in pugnam), Liv. 37, 43: expeditionem, Suet. Claud. 1.—
(b). With prep.: onerarias retro in Africam repetere, Liv. 25, 25 fin. Drak.: ad vada, Verg. Cul. 104: ad prima vestigia, Grat. Cyn. 245.—
(g). Absol.: quid enim repetiimus (sc. patriam)? Liv. 5, 51.—Freq. in medic. lang., to return, recur: morbi repetunt, Cels. 2, 1; 3, 22; 4, 4; 14 al. —
II. Transf. (class.).
A. To fetch, bring, or take back (cf. revoco).
1. Lit.: filium istinc repetere, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 72: repudiatus repetor, Ter. And. 1, 5, 14: Lysias est Atticus, quamquam Timaeus eum quasi Liciniā et Muciā lege repetit Syracusas, Cic. Brut. 16, 63: qui maxime me repetistis atque revocastis, id. Dom. 57, 144: navigo in Ephesum, ut aurum repetam ab Theotimo domum, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 6, 7: ad haec (impedimenta) repetenda, Caes. B. C. 3, 76: aliquid ab Urbe, Suet. Calig. 39; cf.: thoracem Magni Alexandri e conditorio ejus, id. ib. 52 fin.: partem reliquam copiarum continenti, id. Aug. 16: alii (elephanti) deinde repetiti ac trajecti sunt, others were then brought and passed over, Liv. 21, 28: ut alium repetat in eundem rogum, Sen. Oedip. 61. —
2. Trop., in partic.
a. To take hold of or undertake again; to enter upon again; to recommence, resume, renew, repeat an action, a speech, etc. (cf.: renovo, restauro): praetermissa repetimus, incohata persequimur, Cic. Fin. 5, 19, 51: longo intervallo haec studia repetentem, id. Fat. 2, 4; id. Att. 15, 11, 1: oratio carens hac virtute (sc. ordine) necesse est multa repetat, multa transeat, Quint. 7, prooem. § 3: ad verbum repetita reddantur, id. 11, 2, 39 et saep.: eadem vetera consilia, Cic. Verr. 1, 6, 17: hoc primus repetas opus, hoc postremus omittas, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 48: susurri Compositā repetantur horā, id. C. 1, 9, 20: relicta, id. Ep. 1, 7, 97: verba, Ov. H. 20, 9: audita, id. ib. 20, 193: repetitum Mulciber aevum Poscit, id. M. 9, 422: auspicia de integro, Liv. 5, 17: pugnam, id. 10, 36 acrius bellum, Just. 12, 2, 13: iter, Ov. A. A. 3, 747: sollemnia, Tac. A. 3, 6 fin.: spectacula ex antiquitate, to restore, Suet. Claud. 21; cf.: genera ignominiarum ex antiquitate, id. Tib. 19: legatum, Dig. 30, 1, 32: usum fructum, ib. 7, 4, 3.— With de: de mutatione litterarum nihil repetere hic necesse est, Quint. 1, 7, 13.— With object-clause: repetam necesse est, infinitas esse species, Quint. 6, 3, 101; 46: ut repetam coeptum pertexere dictis, Lucr. 1, 418; cf.: commemorare res, id. 6, 936.— Poet.: rĕpĕtītus, a, um, as an adv., repeatedly, anew, again: repetita suis percussit pectora palmis, Ov. M. 5, 473; 12, 287: robora caedit, id. ib. 8, 769: vellera mollibat longo tractu, by drawing out repeatedly, id. ib. 6, 20; cf.: haec decies repetita placebit, Hor. A. P. 365. —
b. In discourse, to draw, deduce, derive from anywhere; to go back to, begin from anywhere (cf. deduco): populum a stirpe, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21: repetere populi originem, id. ib. 2, 1, 3: ipsius juris ortum a fonte ... stirpem juris a naturā, id. Leg. 1, 6, 20: usque a Corace nescio quo et Tisiā, id. de Or. 1, 20, 91; 2, 2, 6: ab ultimā antiquitate, id. Fin. 1, 20, 65: brevis erit narratio, si non ab ultimo repetetur, id. Inv. 1, 20, 28; Quint. 5, 10, 83: aliquid a Platonis auctoritate, Cic. Tusc. 5, 12, 34: ingressio non ex oratoriis disputationibus ducta sed e mediā philosophiā repetita, id. Or. 3, 11: res remotas ex litterarum monumentis, id. Inv. 1, 1, 1: initia amicitiae ex parentibus nostris, Bithyn. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 16 init.: verba ex ultimis tenebris, ex vetustate, Quint. 8, 3, 25; 11, 1, 49; 1, 4, 4: alte vero et, ut oportet, a capite repetis, quod quaerimus, Cic. Leg. 1, 6, 18: tam longa et tam alte repetita oratio, id. de Or. 3, 24, 91; id. Rep. 4, 4, 4: repetam paulo altius, etc., id. Clu. 24, 66: altius omnem Expediam primā repetens ab origine famam, Verg. G. 4, 286; so, altius, Quint. 5, 7, 27; 6, 2, 2; 11, 1, 62; Suet. Ner. 2: transilire ante pedes posita et alia longe repetita sumere, Cic. de Or. 3, 40, 160; so, longe, id. Fam. 13, 29, 2; id. Div. 2, 58, 119: longius, id. Inv. 1, 49, 91; Quint. 5, 7, 17; 5, 11, 23: repetitis atque enumeratis diebus, reckoned backwards, Caes. B. C. 3, 105; so, repetitis diebus ex die vulneris, Dig. 9, 2, 51, § 2: repetitā die, ib. 10, 4, 9, § 6; 39, 2, 15, § 31; 43, 19, 1, § 10; 22, 4, 3.—
c. Repetere aliquid memoriā, memoriam rei, or (rarely without memoriā) aliquid, to call up again in the mind; to call to mind, recall, recollect (cf.: revoco, recordor): cogitanti mihi saepenumero et memoriā vetera repetenti, Cic. de Or. 1, 1, 1; id. Fam. 11, 27, 2; id. Rep. 1, 8, 13; Verg. A. 1, 372: repete memoriā tecum, quando, etc., Sen. Brev. Vit. 3, 3; cf. with object-clause: memoriā repeto, diem esse hodiernum, quo, etc., Scipio Afric. ap. Gell. 4, 18, 3; Quint. 1, 6, 10: repete temporis illius memoriam, Cic. Deiot. 7, 20; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 47, § 105: memoriam ex annalibus, Liv. 8, 18: veteris cujusdam memoriae recordationem, Cic. de Or. 1, 2, 4.—Without memoriā: reminisci quom ea, quae tenuit mens ac memoria, cogitando repetuntur, Varr. L. L. 6, § 44 Müll.: si omnium mearum praecepta litterarum repetes, intelleges, etc., Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 7: supra repetere et paucis instituta majorum disserere, Sall. C. 5, 9: unde tuos primum repetam, mea Cynthia, fastus, Prop. 1, 18, 5: cum repeto noctem, quā, etc., Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 3: te animo repetentem exempla tuorum, Verg. A. 12, 439.— With object-clause: repeto, me correptum ab eo, cur ambularem, Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 16; 7, 6, 7; 13; Suet. Gram. 4: multum ante repetito, concordem sibi conjugem, etc., Tac. A. 3, 33.—Absol.: inde usque repetens, hoc video, Cic. Arch. 1, 1: genitor mihi talia (namque Nunc repeto) Anchises fatorum arcana reliquit, Verg. A. 7, 123; 3, 184.—
B. To ask, demand, or take again or back; to demand or claim what is due (syn. reposco).
1. In gen.
a. Lit.: si quis mutuom quid dederit, fit pro proprio perditum, quom repetas, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 45; cf. id. ib. 5, 2, 7: suom, id. Ps. 1, 3, 63: neque repeto pro illā quidquam abs te pretii, Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 11: bona sua, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 13, § 32: abs te sestertium miliens ex lege, id. Div. in Caecil. 5, 19: ereptas pecunias, id. ib. 5, 18; cf.: quae erepta sunt, id. Sull. 32, 89: mea promissa, id. Planc. 42, 101: obsides, Caes. B. G. 1, 31: urbes bello superatas in antiquum jus, Liv. 35, 16, 6: Homerum Colophonii civem esse dicunt suum, Chii suum vindicant, Salaminii repetunt, Cic. Arch. 8, 19: Cicero Gallum a Verticone repetit, qui litteras ad Caesarem referat, applied again for, Caes. B. G. 5, 49: si forte suas repetitum venerit plumas, Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 18: nec repetita sequi curet Proserpina matrem, Verg. G. 1, 39: Politorium rursus bello, to retake, Liv. 1, 33, 3.—
b. Trop.: qui repetit eam, quam ego patri suo quondam spoponderim, dignitatem, Cic. Fl. 42, 106; cf.: pro eo (beneficio) gratiam repetere, Liv. 1, 47: civitatem in libertatem, id. 34, 22, 11: parentum poenas a consceleratissimis filiis, Cic. Rosc. Am. 24, 67: ab isto eas poenas vi repetisse, aliquo, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 63, § 163: ut ne mors quidem sit in repetendā libertate fugiendā, in the effort to recover, id. Phil. 10, 10, 20: libertatem per occasionem, Liv. 3, 49; cf.: dies ille libertatis improspere repetitae, Tac. A. 1, 8: beneficia ab aliquo, Sall. J. 96, 2: honores quasi debitos ab aliquo, id. ib. 85, 37: repete a me rempublicam, take back from me, Suet. Caes. 78: repetitumque, duobus uti mandaretur consulum nomen imperiumque, it was demanded again, that, etc., Liv. 3, 33: se repetere, to recover one's self, Sen. Ep. 104, 6.—
2. In partic., publicists' and jurid. t. t.
a. Of the fetiales: repetere res, to demand back from the enemy things which they had taken as booty; hence, in gen., to demand satisfaction: (fetiales) mittebantur antequam conciperetur (bellum), qui res repeterent, Varr. L. L. 5, § 86 Müll.; Liv. 1, 32; 4, 30; 7, 6; 32; Cic. Off. 1, 11, 36: jure gentium res repeto, Sall. H. 3, 61, 17 Dietsch: amissa bello repetere, Just. 6, 6, 7; cf. clarigatio and clarigo. —
b. In jurid. lang.: res repetere, to demand back or reclaim one's property before a court: in iis rebus repetendis, quae mancipi sunt, Cic. Mur. 2, 3.— Hence, transf., in gen., to seek to obtain, to reclaim: non ex jure manum consertum, sed magi' ferro Rem repetunt, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10 (Ann. v. 277 Vahl.).—
c. Pecuniae repetundae, or simply repetundae, money or other things extorted by a provincial governor, and that are to be restored (at a later period, referring to any bribed officer): L. Piso legem de pecuniis repetundis primus tulit, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 84, § 195; 2, 4, 25, § 56; id. Brut. 27, 106; id. Off. 2, 21, 75: quorum causā judicium de pecuniis repetundis est constitutum, id. Div. in Caecil. 4, 11: clames te lege pecuniarum repetundarum non teneri, id. Clu. 53, 148: pecuniarum repetundarum reus, Sall. C. 18, 3: oppugnatus in judicio pecuniarum repetundarum, id. ib. 49, 2: quā lege a senatore ratio repeti solet de pecuniis repetundis, Cic. Clu. 37, 104: accusare de pecuniis repetundis, id. Rab. Post. 4, 9; id. Clu. 41, 114: cum de pecuniis repetundis nomen cujuspiam deferatur, id. Div. in Caecil. 3, 10: de pecuniis repetundis ad recuperatores itum est, Tac. A. 1, 74 fin.—With ellipsis of pecuniis: repetundarum causae, crimen, lex, Quint. 4, 2, 85; 5, 7, 5; 4, 2, 15; Tac. A. 4, 19; 13, 43; 12, 22; 13, 33; id. H. 1, 77; 4, 45; Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 3: repetundarum reus, Val. Max. 9, 12, 7: repetundarum argui, Tac. A. 3, 33: accusare, Suet. Dom. 8: postulari, Tac. A. 3, 66; Suet. Caes. 4: absolvi, Tac. A. 13, 30: convinci, Suet. Caes. 43: damnari, Tac. A. 3, 70; 14, 28: teneri, id. ib. 11, 7: Pilius de repetundis eum postulavit, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 2 (for which, § 3, de pecuniis repetundis): neque absolutus neque damnatus Servilius de repetundis, id. ib. § 3: damnatum repetundis consularem virum, Suet. Oth. 2 fin.

Origins

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinrepetō

Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- Proto-Indo-European *péth₂eti Latin petō Latin repetō From re- + petō.

Elsewhere
  • Catalanrepetir
  • Germanrepetieren
  • Italianripetere
  • Occitanrepetir
  • Frenchrépéterfrom Old French repeter
  • Englishrepeatfrom Old French repeter
  • Portugueserepetir
  • Romanianrepeta
  • Sardinianrepetire
  • Spanishrepetir
Italo-Romance
  • Neapolitanarepetá
  • Sicilianarripitari
Gallo-Romance
  • Old Frenchrepeïr

In English words that came into English from repetō

  • repeatrepetō
  • repetitionrepetitionem
  • repetitiverepetitus
  • repetitiorepetītiō

Quick answers

What does repetō mean in Latin?
repetō, a verb, means “to attack again; to go back to; to recommence, resume, renew or repeat an action”.
What are the principal parts of repetō?
repetō, repetere, repetīvī, repetītum (third conjugation).
How do you pronounce repetō?
In classical Latin, [ˈrɛ.pɛ.toː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈrɛː.pe.to].
Where does repetō come from?
Proto-Italic *wre- → Latin repetō.
Which English words come from repetō?
English words that go back to Latin repetō include repeat, repetitive, repetition and repetitio.