censeo

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *kensēō, from earlier *kensējō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenséh₁-ye-ti, from *ḱens- (“to announce”). Cognate with Sanskrit शंसति (śáṃsati, “to declare”), Proto-Iranian *cánhati.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈken.se.oː/, [ˈkẽːs̠eoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃen.se.o/, [ˈt͡ʃɛnseo]

Verb

cēnseō (present infinitive cēnsēre, perfect active cēnsuī, supine cēnsum); second conjugation

1. to give an opinion
2. to think, suppose or judge

   Synonyms: credo, reor, opinor, iūdicō, sentio, existimo, cogito, considero, arbitror, puto, reputo

3. to recommend, advise

   Synonyms: suādeō, commendō, conciliō, dēlīberō, moneō, admoneō, praedicō

   • Cato the Elder :

     Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam

     Furthermore, I recommend that Carthage must be destroyed

4. to decree, vote or determine

   Synonym: cōnscīscō

5. to count or reckon, assess
6. to register the citizens, perform the task of a censor

Conjugation

Conjugation of cēnseō (second conjugation)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	cēnseō	cēnsēs	cēnset	cēnsēmus	cēnsētis	cēnsent
	imperfect	cēnsēbam	cēnsēbās	cēnsēbat	cēnsēbāmus	cēnsēbātis	cēnsēbant
	future	cēnsēbō	cēnsēbis	cēnsēbit	cēnsēbimus	cēnsēbitis	cēnsēbunt
	perfect	cēnsuī	cēnsuistī	cēnsuit	cēnsuimus	cēnsuistis	cēnsuērunt, cēnsuēre
	pluperfect	cēnsueram	cēnsuerās	cēnsuerat	cēnsuerāmus	cēnsuerātis	cēnsuerant
	future perfect	cēnsuerō	cēnsueris	cēnsuerit	cēnsuerimus	cēnsueritis	cēnsuerint
passive	present	cēnseor	cēnsēris, cēnsēre	cēnsētur	cēnsēmur	cēnsēminī	cēnsentur
	imperfect	cēnsēbar	cēnsēbāris, cēnsēbāre	cēnsēbātur	cēnsēbāmur	cēnsēbāminī	cēnsēbantur
	future	cēnsēbor	cēnsēberis, cēnsēbere	cēnsēbitur	cēnsēbimur	cēnsēbiminī	cēnsēbuntur
	perfect	cēnsus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	cēnsus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	cēnsus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	cēnseam	cēnseās	cēnseat	cēnseāmus	cēnseātis	cēnseant
	imperfect	cēnsērem	cēnsērēs	cēnsēret	cēnsērēmus	cēnsērētis	cēnsērent
	perfect	cēnsuerim	cēnsuerīs	cēnsuerit	cēnsuerīmus	cēnsuerītis	cēnsuerint
	pluperfect	cēnsuissem	cēnsuissēs	cēnsuisset	cēnsuissēmus	cēnsuissētis	cēnsuissent
passive	present	cēnsear	cēnseāris, cēnseāre	cēnseātur	cēnseāmur	cēnseāminī	cēnseantur
	imperfect	cēnsērer	cēnsērēris, cēnsērēre	cēnsērētur	cēnsērēmur	cēnsērēminī	cēnsērentur
	perfect	cēnsus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	cēnsus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	cēnsē	—	—	cēnsēte	—
	future	—	cēnsētō	cēnsētō	—	cēnsētōte	cēnsentō
passive	present	—	cēnsēre	—	—	cēnsēminī	—
	future	—	cēnsētor	cēnsētor	—	—	cēnsentor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		cēnsēre	cēnsuisse	cēnsūrum esse	cēnsērī, cēnsērier1	cēnsum esse	cēnsum īrī
participles		cēnsēns	—	cēnsūrus	—	cēnsus	cēnsendus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		cēnsendī	cēnsendō	cēnsendum	cēnsendō	cēnsum	cēnsū

¹The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

• accēnseō
• cēnsiō
• cēnsītiō
• cēnsītor
• cēnsor
• cēnsum
• cēnsus
• percēnseō
• recēnseō
• succēnseō / suscēnseō

Descendants

• English: census
• → Middle French: censer
  • French: censé

References

• “censeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “censeo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• censeo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Dizionario Latino, Olivetti
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the censors hold a census of the people: censores censent populum
    
  • what is your opinion: quid censes? quid tibi videtur?
    
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 107