noun · femininefirst declension
secta
secta f (genitive sectae)
Meaning
- femininea trodden or beaten way, pathway, mode, manner, method, principle
- femininea body of political principles, party, side, faction
- femininea doctrine, school, sect
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | secta | sectae |
| genitive | sectae | sectārum |
| dative | sectae | sectīs |
| accusative | sectam | sectās |
| ablative | sectā | sectīs |
| vocative | secta | sectae |
secta, ae, f. part. perf. of seco, sc. via, v. seco, I. C. 2., and II. B. fin.; prop.,
I. a trodden or beaten way, a path; footsteps; hence, trop., a (prescribed) way, mode, manner, method, principles of conduct or procedure (syn.: ratio, via, etc.); most freq. in the phrase sectam (alicujus) sequi (persequi, etc.), to follow in the footsteps (of any one); hence, also, sectam (alicujus) secuti, a party, faction, sect.
I. In gen.:
nos, qui hanc sectam rationemque vitae, re magis quam verbis, secuti sumus, mode of life, Cic. Cael. 17, 40; so, vitae, Quint. 3, 8, 38; 12, 2, 6; Plin. Pan. 45, 4; cf. id. ib. 85, 7: horum nos hominum sectam atque instituta persequimur, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181; cf.: cujus sectam sequi, cujus imperio parere potissimum vellet, id. Rab. Perd. 8, 22: sequi ejus auctoritatem, cujus sectam atque imperium secutus est, id. Fam. 13, 4, 2: omnis natura habet quasi viam quandam et sectam quam sequatur, id. N. D. 2, 22, 57: negant se pro Vitruvio sectamque ejus secutis precatum venisse, Liv. 8, 19; cf. id. 29, 27; 35, 49; 36, 1; 42, 31: juvenes hortatur, ut illam ire viam pergant et eidem incumbere sectae, Juv. 14, 121 sq.: divitioris sectam plerumque secuntur Quamlibet et fortes, follow, adhere to, Lucr. 5, 1114: gallae sectam meam exsecutae, mihi comites, etc., Cat. 63, 15 et saep.—II. In partic., doctrines, school, sect (not freq. until the post-Aug. per.; syn.: schola, disciplina).
A. In philosophic lang.:
quo magis tuum, Brute, judicium probo, qui eorum philosophorum sectam secutus es, Cic. Brut. 31, 120; cf.: inter Stoicos et Epicuri sectam secutos pugna perpetua est, Quint. 5, 7, 35.— Plur.: ad morem certas in philosophia sectas sequendi, Quint. 3, 1, 18: neque me cujusdam sectae velut quādam superstitione imbutus addixi, id. 3, 1, 22: assumptā Stoicorum arrogantiā sectāque, Tac. A. 14, 57: Demetrio Cynicam sectam professo, id. H. 4, 40: auctoritatem Stoicae sectae praeferebat, id. A. 16, 32; 6, 22: inter duos diversarum sectarum velut duces, Quint. 5, 13, 59. —B. In jurisprudence:
hi duo primum veluti diversas sectas fecerunt, schools, Dig. 1, 2, 2, § 47.—C. In medicine, a school:
alia est Hippocratis secta, alia Asclepiadis, Sen. Ep. 95, 9.—D. In religion, a sect, Cod. Just. 1, 9, 3:
plurimae sectae et haereses, Lact. 4, 30, 2: Nazaraenorum, Vulg. Act. 24, 5.—E. Rarely of a class or guild of men:
sincera et innoxia pastoriae illius sectae integritas, Flor. 3, 12, 2.—F. In Appul., a band of robbers, App. M. 4, pp. 150, 29, and 153, 22.
secta, ōrum, n. 1. seco, I. B. 1.,
I. parts of the body operated upon:
secta recentia, Plin. 31, 11, 47, § 126.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
secta ae, f
SEC-, a beaten way, pathway, mode, manner, method, principle : omnis natura habet sectam quam sequatur: eidem incumbere sectae, Iu.: hanc sectam rationemque vitae sequi, mode of life.—A body of political principles, party, side : cuius sectam atque imperium secutus es: pro Vitruvio sectamque eius secutis precari, his party , L.—In philosophy, a doctrine, school, sect : eorum philosophorum sectam sequi.
Origins
Probably from sectus (“cut off, amputated, divided”), perfect passive participle of secō, as in a distinct, separate body or group (e.g., a religious, political, or philosophical sect). See also the expression "secāre viam" ("take one's way, travel"). Another possibility is a derivation from sequor, sequī (“to follow”), past participle secūtus.
Descendants
- Catalansecta
- Italiansetta
- Portugueseseita
- Romaniansectă
- Spanishsecta
- Frenchsectefrom Old French secte
- Englishsectfrom Old French secte
- Galicianseita
- Normansectefrom Old French secte
- Scotssectfrom Old French secte
In English words that came into English from secta
- sectsecta
- sectarysectārius