potuit

Potuit is a Latin verb form, the third-person singular perfect indicative active of the verb posse, which means “to be able.” It is commonly translated as “he could” or “he was able (to).” In Classical Latin, potuit is used to express past ability or a completed capacity to perform an action, and it is typically followed by an infinitive to specify what was possible.

As a form of a defective verb, potuit is part of a larger irregular paradigm. The verb posse forms its perfect with a set of endings in the past tense: potui, potuisti, potuit, potuimus, potuistis, potuerunt. Thus potuit is the third-person singular member of that paradigm. The negative is non potuit, meaning “he could not.”

Usage notes include that potuit often appears in narrative or descriptive past contexts to indicate capability rather than a hypothetical possibility. It can also appear in indirect speech to report someone’s past ability. For example, in a sentence like Miles hostes vincere potuit, “The soldier could/was able to defeat the enemies.” In modern learners’ use, potuit is distinguished from the present form potest (he is able) and from other tenses of posse, such as potuerat (he had been able) or potuit herself as part of historical narration.

Etymology and position: potuit derives from the Latin verb posse, itself irregular and defective in some tenses. It is part of standard Latin grammar and appears across Latin literature to convey past capability. Related forms include potuit, potui, and other perfect forms used to express different temporal perspectives of ability.