obsto

See also: obstó

Latin

Etymology

From ob- (“before, in front”) +‎ stō (“stand”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɔp.stoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɔb.st̪o]

Verb

obstō (present infinitive obstāre, perfect active obstitī, future active participle obstātūrus); first conjugation, no supine stem except in the future active participle, impersonal in the passive

1. to stand before, stand in the way of, obstruct, block, oppose

   Synonyms: oppōnō, adversor, obversor, refrāgor, repugnō, restō, resistō, officiō, obstruō, dīvertō, recūsō, subsistō, resistō, vetō

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.90-91:

     Quam simul ac tālī persēnsit peste tenērī
     cāra Iovis coniūnx, nec fāmam obstāre furōrī, [...].

     And as soon as [Juno], dear wife of Jupiter, sensed that [Dido was now] gripped by such a plague [of passion], and that even [Dido’s regard for her own] reputation [had ceased] to oppose her [rush] to madness, [...].

2. to thwart, hinder

   Synonyms: supprimō, intersaepiō, moror, prohibeō, impediō, refrēnō, dētineō, obstruō, retineō, arceō, cohibeō, sistō, inclūdō, reprimō, perimō, officiō, tardō, saepiō, premō, coerceō, comprimō, sustentō

   Antonyms: līberō, eximō, vindicō, servō, exonerō, absolvō, excipiō, ēmittō

Usage notes

Usually used with the dative.

Conjugation

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	obstō		obstās		obstat		obstāmus		obstātis		obstant
	imperfect	obstābam		obstābās		obstābat		obstābāmus		obstābātis		obstābant
	future	obstābō		obstābis		obstābit		obstābimus		obstābitis		obstābunt
	perfect	obstitī		obstitistī		obstitit		obstitimus		obstitistis		obstitērunt, obstitēre
	pluperfect	obstiteram		obstiterās		obstiterat		obstiterāmus		obstiterātis		obstiterant
	future perfect	obstiterō		obstiteris		obstiterit		obstiterimus		obstiteritis		obstiterint
passive	present	—		—		obstātur		—		—		—
	imperfect	—		—		obstābātur		—		—		—
	future	—		—		obstābitur		—		—		—
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	obstem		obstēs		obstet		obstēmus		obstētis		obstent
	imperfect	obstārem		obstārēs		obstāret		obstārēmus		obstārētis		obstārent
	perfect	obstiterim		obstiterīs		obstiterit		obstiterīmus		obstiterītis		obstiterint
	pluperfect	obstitissem		obstitissēs		obstitisset		obstitissēmus		obstitissētis		obstitissent
passive	present	—		—		obstētur		—		—		—
	imperfect	—		—		obstārētur		—		—		—
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		obstā		—		—		obstāte		—
	future	—		obstātō		obstātō		—		obstātōte		obstantō
passive	future	—		—		obstātor		—		—		—
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		obstāre			obstārī			obstāns			—
future		obstātūrum esse			—			obstātūrus			obstandum
perfect		obstitisse			—			—			—
perfect potential		obstātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		obstandī		obstandō		obstandum		obstandō		—		—

   Conjugation of obstō (first conjugation, no supine stem except in the future active participle, impersonal in the passive)

Derived terms

• nihil obstat
• obstāculum
• obstāns
• obstantia
• obstetrīx

Related terms

• obstitus
• stō

Descendants

• Anglo-Norman: ouster
  • → English: oust
• Catalan: obstar
• French: ôter
  • Louisiana French: oûter
• Galician: obstar
• Italian: ostare
• Portuguese: obstar
• Spanish: obstar

References

• “obsto”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “obsto”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• obsto in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to look after, guard a person's interests, welfare: rationibus alicuius prospicere or consulere (opp. officere, obstare, adversari)