Perdunt

Perdunt is a Latin verb form meaning “they lose” or “they destroy.” It is the third person plural present active indicative of perdere, a verb of the third conjugation meaning “to lose, ruin, waste.” The present active paradigm for perdere is perdō, perdis, perdit, perdimus, perditis, perdunt. The principal parts are perdō (present), perdere (infinitive), perdidī (perfect), perditum (supine or perfect passive participle). The form perdunt appears whenever the subject is plural and the action is present.

Usage notes indicate that perdunt covers both literal loss and figurative ruin, depending on the context and its object. In classical Latin, it is found across genres to describe events such as losing possessions, fortunes, or lives, as well as destroying or ruining something in a figurative sense. Because perder can carry nuance of ruin in addition to loss, context often clarifies whether the meaning is “lose” or “destroy.”

In translation, perdunt is rendered as “they lose” (or, in certain contexts, “they ruin/destroy”). Its related forms include perdit (he/she/it loses), perdimus (we lose), and perdunt (they lose). The related noun perditio denotes loss or destruction, and the adjective perditus means “lost” or “ruined.”

See also: perder, Latin verbs, Latin conjugation, Latin grammar. References for further study include standard Latin grammars such as Allen and Greenough’s New Latin Grammar and Wheelock’s Latin.