praecludunt

Praecludunt is a Latin verb form meaning “they prevent” or “they close off.” It is the third-person plural present indicative active of praecludere, a verb meaning to shut off, block, or preclude. The prefix prae- intensifies the sense of preceding or foreclosing, and claudere means “to shut.”

Grammatical notes and principal parts: praecludere belongs to the second conjugation (with the present infinitive ending -ere). Its principal parts are praecludo, praecludere, praeclusi, praeclusum. The form praecludunt appears in the present system when the subject is plural and the verb is active. Other present forms include praecludo, praecludis, praecludit, praecludimus, praecluditis, and praecludunt.

Usage and nuance: praecludunt is used in both literal and figurative contexts to describe preventing access, blocking passage, or hindering action. It can govern a direct object in the accusative (e.g., praecludunt portas, “they block the gates”) or describe preclusion of plans or opportunities in a broader sense. In Roman prose and poetry, the verb often conveys deliberate obstruction by people (enemies, authorities) or natural barriers.

Examples: Hostes portas praecludunt. (“The enemies block the gates.”) Leges novas vias praeeunt, et consilia eorum praecedunt homines. (illustrative usage: new laws foreclose options; the plans go ahead of people.)

See also: praecludere, the base form; praeclusus, the supine/participle forms useful for related constructions.