Nolite

Nolite is the Latin second-person plural present active imperative of the verb nolo, meaning “you do not want” or, more idiomatically, “do not …” It functions as a prohibition directed at a group, and it is normally followed by a present active infinitive to indicate the action to be avoided, such as “Nolite timere” (Do not fear) or “Nolite tangere” (Do not touch).

Morphology and usage: The verb nolo is irregular in the indicative, with forms like nolo, vis, vult, nolumus, vultis, nolunt. Its imperative forms are fixed: singular noli and plural nolite. When used for prohibition, nolite is usually followed by an infinitive (e.g., timere, tangere) to specify the prohibited action. This construction is common in classical Latin as well as later Latin, including religious and legal texts.

Etymology and scope: NoliteUltimately derives from nolo, a defective verb meaning “not to wish.” The imperative sense is achieved through the second-person plural form nolite, functioning as a direct command to a group. The phrase appears in a variety of Latin contexts, from everyday exhortation to formal proclamations, and it is occasionally encountered in educational and liturgical materials to illustrate the prohibition mood.

In modern reference and culture, nolite is often cited as a canonical example of the Latin imperative in textbooks. It is also part of well-known phrases used to convey prohibitions, and it appears in discussions of Latin grammar as a standard model of how negative commands are formed in the plural.