Praecipitur

Praecipitur is a Latin verb form meaning “it is ordered” or “it is instructed.” It is the third person singular present passive indicative of the verb praecipio, praecipere, which means to command, to instruct, or to foretell. The principal parts are praecipio, praecepi, praeceptum, and the present passive is praecipitur.

In usage, praecipitur is typically an impersonal construction: the agent who issues the command is often not stated, focusing instead on the directive itself. It appears in legal, administrative, and ecclesiastical Latin, signaling a directive issued by authority. The sense ranges from a formal decree to a general guideline that must be followed.

Dictionaries translate praecipitur as “it is ordered” or “it is commanded.” Its nuance lies in the act of issuing instructions that are to be observed, rather than describing a concrete action by a named subject. The form is commonly found in conjunction with ut-clause constructions or in contexts presenting rules and prohibitions.

Example: praecipitur ut leges legantur. Translation: “It is ordered that the laws be read.” Related lexical items include the noun praeceptum (“precept, instruction”) and the verb praecipere in its active forms.