praesentare

Praesentare is a Latin verb belonging to the first conjugation. The infinitive praesentare signals its regular -are verb class, and its principal parts are typically listed as praesentō, praesentāre, praesentāvī, praesentātum. As a standard first-conjugation verb, it follows the common Latin patterns for present, imperfect, perfect, and supine forms.

Meanings and usage

The core sense of praesentare is “to present,” “to bring before,” or “to exhibit.” It is used in a wide range of contexts, including introducing someone to others (to present a person to a gathering), submitting or presenting a document or evidence, and displaying or offering something for inspection. In rhetorical or legal texts, it can carry nuances of introducing a argument or case before an audience or authority. The word also appears in liturgical and ceremonial contexts where someone or something is formally presented.

Historical and linguistic context

Praesentare appears in Classical Latin as a regular verb and continued to be used in Late Latin and ecclesiastical Latin. Its semantic range broadened with usage, aligning with similar verbs in related Romance languages. The form influenced descendant verbs in Romance languages, such as Italian presentare, Spanish presentar, and Portuguese apresentar, all meaning “to present.” The Latin term thus sits at a linguistic bridge between classical vocabulary and the modern vocabularies of Romance languages.

See also

Latin verbs of the first conjugation; Romance-language derivatives; liturgical Latin usage; introduction and presentation in rhetoric.

Note

As with many Latin verbs, exact morphology can vary by tense, mood, voice, and active vs. passive forms. Examples above illustrate typical, not exhaustive, usage.