attollere

Attollere is a Latin verb meaning to lift up, raise, or elevate. It can denote physical movement, such as raising an object or body parts (for example, attollere manus to raise the hands, attollere oculos to lift the eyes), and it is also used figuratively to mean exaltation or elevation in rank, status, or esteem.

Grammatically, attollere belongs to the third conjugation. Its usual principal parts are attollō, attollere, attulī, attulātum; the present passive infinitive is attollī. The verb is transitive and typically governs a direct object in the accusative, with concrete or abstract objects expressing what is being raised or elevated. In classical Latin it appears in a variety of contexts, from descriptions of strength or action to rhetorical or ceremonial language.

Etymology and usage notes: attollere is a compound formed with the prefix ad- (after assimilation to att- in pronunciation) plus tollere, the broader verb in the same semantic field meaning “to lift” or “to bear away.” It thus shares a core sense with tollere, but with the nuance of moving upward or raising toward a higher position. In Latin literature, attollere appears in both literal expressions—lifting hands, eyes, or voices—and figurative ones—advancing reputations, fortitude, or fortunes.