docere

Docere is a Latin verb meaning “to teach” or “to show.” It is a second-conjugation verb whose infinitive is docēre. In the present system its forms include doceō, docēs, docet, docēmus, docētis, and docent. The imperfect is docebam, doce-bās, docebat, and the perfect is docuī. The supine is doctum, and the participle is doctus (masc.), docta (fem.), doctum (neut.). Principal parts commonly cited are docēre, docuī, doctum (doctus).

Etymology and related terms: The verb stems from the Latin root doc-, connected to words such as doctrina (teaching), doctus (educated), and doctor (a learned teacher). In English, derivatives include doctor, doctrine, document, and indoctrinate, all tracing back to the same Latin lineage. The semantic core of docere—transmitting knowledge or demonstrating how something is done—shapes these related terms.

Usage and context: In classical Latin, docere appears with direct objects and infinitives to express teaching of a skill, a subject, or a task. It figures prominently in educational and rhetorical contexts, and its verbal forms extend across tenses and voices to describe teaching activities. In ecclesiastical and medieval Latin, docere continued to carry the sense of instruction and preaching, contributing to the broader idea of authoritative teaching in both religious and scholarly settings.