Frequentative of speciō (“look at”) via its passive participle spectus.
spectō (present infinitive spectāre, perfect active spectāvī, supine spectātum); first conjugation
- to watch, observe, look at, consider
- Synonyms: videō, intueor, tueor, vīsō, cōnspicor, īnspectō, observō, servō, speciō, invīsō, cōnspiciō, perlūstrō, īnspiciō, suspiciō
- to examine, try, test
- Synonyms: periclitor, experior, temptō, probō, explōrō, reputō, cōnsīderō, perpendō, circumspiciō
- to aim, strive, or endeavour after
- Synonyms: lūctor, ēlabōrō, certō, cōnītor, cōnor, appetō, temptō, affectō, tendō, quaerō, īnsequor, sitiō, studeō, contendō, adnītor, labōrō, pugnō, molior, perīclitor, nītor, ēnītor
- to seek, aspire to
- Synonyms: requīrō, affectō, cupiō, quaerō, studeō, concupiō, indigeō, inquīrō, conquīrō, petō, expetō, aveō, voveō, circumspiciō, appetō, intendō, quaesō, tendō
- Antonyms: āversor, abhorreō
| Conjugation of spectō (first conjugation)
|
| indicative
|
singular
|
plural
|
| first
|
second
|
third
|
first
|
second
|
third
|
| active
|
present
|
spectō
|
spectās
|
spectat
|
spectāmus
|
spectātis
|
spectant
|
| imperfect
|
spectābam
|
spectābās
|
spectābat
|
spectābāmus
|
spectābātis
|
spectābant
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| future
|
spectābō
|
spectābis
|
spectābit
|
spectābimus
|
spectābitis
|
spectābunt
|
| perfect
|
spectāvī
|
spectāvistī,
spectāstī1
|
spectāvit,
spectāt1
|
spectāvimus,
spectāmus1
|
spectāvistis,
spectāstis1
|
spectāvērunt,
spectāvēre,
spectārunt1
|
| pluperfect
|
spectāveram,
spectāram1
|
spectāverās,
spectārās1
|
spectāverat,
spectārat1
|
spectāverāmus,
spectārāmus1
|
spectāverātis,
spectārātis1
|
spectāverant,
spectārant1
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| future perfect
|
spectāverō,
spectārō1
|
spectāveris,
spectāris1
|
spectāverit,
spectārit1
|
spectāverimus,
spectārimus1
|
spectāveritis,
spectāritis1
|
spectāverint,
spectārint1
|
| passive
|
present
|
spector
|
spectāris,
spectāre
|
spectātur
|
spectāmur
|
spectāminī
|
spectantur
|
| imperfect
|
spectābar
|
spectābāris,
spectābāre
|
spectābātur
|
spectābāmur
|
spectābāminī
|
spectābantur
|
| future
|
spectābor
|
spectāberis,
spectābere
|
spectābitur
|
spectābimur
|
spectābiminī
|
spectābuntur
|
| perfect
|
spectātus + present active indicative of sum
|
| pluperfect
|
spectātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
|
| future perfect
|
spectātus + future active indicative of sum
|
| subjunctive
|
singular
|
plural
|
| first
|
second
|
third
|
first
|
second
|
third
|
| active
|
present
|
spectem
|
spectēs
|
spectet
|
spectēmus
|
spectētis
|
spectent
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| imperfect
|
spectārem
|
spectārēs
|
spectāret
|
spectārēmus
|
spectārētis
|
spectārent
|
| perfect
|
spectāverim,
spectārim1
|
spectāverīs,
spectārīs1
|
spectāverit,
spectārit1
|
spectāverīmus,
spectārīmus1
|
spectāverītis,
spectārītis1
|
spectāverint,
spectārint1
|
| pluperfect
|
spectāvissem,
spectāssem1
|
spectāvissēs,
spectāssēs1
|
spectāvisset,
spectāsset1
|
spectāvissēmus,
spectāssēmus1
|
spectāvissētis,
spectāssētis1
|
spectāvissent,
spectāssent1
|
| passive
|
present
|
specter
|
spectēris,
spectēre
|
spectētur
|
spectēmur
|
spectēminī
|
spectentur
|
| imperfect
|
spectārer
|
spectārēris,
spectārēre
|
spectārētur
|
spectārēmur
|
spectārēminī
|
spectārentur
|
| perfect
|
spectātus + present active subjunctive of sum
|
| pluperfect
|
spectātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
|
| imperative
|
singular
|
plural
|
| first
|
second
|
third
|
first
|
second
|
third
|
| active
|
present
|
—
|
spectā
|
—
|
—
|
spectāte
|
—
|
| future
|
—
|
spectātō
|
spectātō
|
—
|
spectātōte
|
spectantō
|
| passive
|
present
|
—
|
spectāre
|
—
|
—
|
spectāminī
|
—
|
| future
|
—
|
spectātor
|
spectātor
|
—
|
—
|
spectantor
|
| non-finite forms
|
active
|
passive
|
| present
|
perfect
|
future
|
present
|
perfect
|
future
|
| infinitives
|
spectāre
|
spectāvisse,
spectāsse1
|
spectātūrum esse
|
spectārī
|
spectātum esse
|
spectātum īrī
|
| participles
|
spectāns
|
—
|
spectātūrus
|
—
|
spectātus
|
spectandus
|
| verbal nouns
|
gerund
|
supine
|
| genitive
|
dative
|
accusative
|
ablative
|
accusative
|
ablative
|
| spectandī
|
spectandō
|
spectandum
|
spectandō
|
spectātum
|
spectātū
|
1At least one rare poetic syncopated perfect form is attested.
- “specto”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “specto”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- specto in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- specto in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2024), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
- Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
- to lie to the east, west, south, north: spectare in (vergere ad) orientem (solem), occidentem (solem), ad meridiem, in septentriones
- to be situate to the north-west: spectare inter occasum solis et septentriones
- to study the commonplace: cogitationes in res humiles abicere (De Amic. 9. 32) (Opp. alte spectare, ad altiora tendere, altum, magnificum, divinum suspicere)
- to have a high object in view; to be ambitious: magna sibi proponere or magna spectare
- to have an object in view: spectare aliquid or ad aliquid
- the matter tends towards..., has this object.[1: res eo spectat, ut
- there seems a prospect of armed violence; things look like violence: res spectat ad vim (arma)
- literally: si verba spectas
- a man's policy is aiming at, directed towards..: alicuius in re publica or capessendae rei publicae consilia eo spectant, ut...
