mitto

Mitto is a Latin verb meaning to send or dispatch. It is a third‑conjugation verb with the principal parts mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum. The present active indicative forms are mittō, mittis, mittit, mittimus, mittitis, mittunt; the present active infinitive is mittere; the perfect active is mīsī; the supine is missum. The passive forms include mittor, mitteris, mittitur, mittimur, mittiminī, mittuntur. The perfect passive participle is missus (feminine missa, neuter missum).

Core meaning centers on sending or dispatching, whether a message, a person, an object, or something set in motion. In addition to sending, mitto can convey throwing, releasing, or sending forth. In classical usage it appears in a wide range of contexts, including legal or diplomatic acts and military or courier movements. With prefixes it yields a family of related verbs such as admittō (to admit), remittō (to send back or release), transmitto (to transmit), and so on.

Derivatives and linguistic influence: mitto serves as the primary Latin root for many English words formed with prefixes or via the noun form missio. Examples include admit, remit, transmit, commit, permit, omit (via omittere), and transmittal. Nouns and adjectives derived from missio or missilis include mission, emission, emissary, missile, and certain legal or technical terms relating to sending or throwing.

In Latin literature, mitto is common in everyday and formal prose, appearing in phrases about delivering letters, dispatching envoys, or sending offerings. Its compounds with various prefixes have left a substantial imprint on Western vocabulary, particularly in terms related to sending, allowing, or launching actions.