reicere

Reicere is a Latin verb that means “to cast back,” “to reject,” or “to cast aside.” It belongs to the third conjugation and is formed from the root *reīc‑* with the infinitive ending –ere. In classical Latin literature the verb appears infrequently, but it becomes more common in medieval and legal texts, where it is used to describe the act of refusing or discarding something, such as a claim, a document, or a proposal.

The primary forms of the verb follow regular third‑conjugation patterns: the present indicative active is reīcit (he/she/it rejects), the imperfect reīcēbat (was rejecting), and the perfect reiecit (rejected). The passive voice is rare, but forms such as reīcātur (he/she/it is rejected) can be found in later Latin.

In legal Latin, reicere often occurs in the phrase *reicere petitionem*, meaning “to reject a petition.” Medieval jurists used it in court records to indicate the dismissal of an appeal or the denial of a claim. The term also appears in ecclesiastical Latin, for example in papal bulls that *reiciunt* heretical doctrines.

Beyond its literal sense, reicere acquired metaphorical uses in literature, signifying the rejection of ideas or the casting aside of moral obligations. Its English cognates are limited, though the concept is reflected in terms such as “rejection” and “reject.” The verb is sometimes confused with *reicere* derived from *re‑* (again) and *iacere* (to throw), but etymologically it is linked to the notion of throwing back rather than merely throwing.

Modern scholars of Latin grammar treat reicere as a standard example of a third‑conjugation verb with irregular vowel changes in its stem, illustrating the language’s morphological diversity.