presentatio

Presentatio is a Latin noun derived from presentare, meaning to present or to bring before. In Latin texts it denotes the act or instance of presenting something or someone, and it is the cognate of the English word presentation. In scholarly and historical contexts, presentatio appears as a formal term used to describe acts of presenting objects, claims, or persons within various procedures described in Latin literature.

Historically, presentatio is closely associated with the right of presentation (ius praesentandi) in medieval and early modern ecclesiastical law. Under this right, a patron of a benefice—such as a secular lord, a religious corporation, or a monastery—could present a candidate for a church office to a bishop. The bishop would then assess the candidate and proceed to institution and installation. Thus, presentatio describes the procedural act of proposing the candidate, while institution and induction describe subsequent steps in the appointment.

In modern English usage, the standard term is "presentation." Presentatio survives primarily in Latin phrases, philological discussions, or historical documents. The concept, however, remains recognizable in discussions of formal presenting events or displays across languages, and the Latin form is often cited in academic works analyzing medieval legal and ecclesiastical procedures.