consequi

Consequi is a Latin deponent verb whose principal meanings include “to follow” or “to come after,” and by extension “to obtain, to attain, to achieve.” In Latin, deponent verbs are passive in form but active in meaning, so consequi and its related forms are translated actively even though the morphology resembles a passive verb.

The verb is conventionally given with its principal parts as consequor, consequi, consecutus sum. This places it in the third-deponent class of Latin deponents. The present tense forms are built on the passive endings of consequor (e.g., consequor, consequeris, concsequitur, consequimur, consequimini, consecutus sunt), while the infinitive is consequi and the perfect passive participle is consecutus. In use, consequi appears with the typical deponent morphology, and the perfect tense is formed with sum as consecutus sum.

Usage and range of meaning cover both the literal sequence sense—following someone or something in space or time—and figurative senses such as pursuing an objective or achieving a result. In classical Latin authors, consequor can express physical pursuit as well as attainment or consequence of actions. The verb also contributes to idioms and schemata that express logical sequence or outcome, such as phrases that anticipate that something follows from what has been stated.

Etymology and derivatives connect consequor to the Latin root sequ-, shared with related words in English. The same root underpins English terms like consequence, consecutive, and consecutive-related formations, all ultimately tracing back to forms related to consequences of following or succeeding in Latin.