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Definition 2024

praesum ‎(present infinitive praeesse, perfect active praefuī, future participle praefutūrus); irregular conjugation

I am before something
I preside or rule over
I lead, take the lead
I command, have command, be in command of, have charge of, be in charge of
- 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita libri 26.1
  Si supplemento opus esset, suppleret de legionibus quibus P. Cornelius pro praetore in Sicilia praeesset, […]
  If reinforcements were needed, he should supply them with the legions which Publius Cornelius, propraetor, was in charge of in Sicily, […]

Note: This verb takes a dative object.

Conjugation of praesum (highly irregular, suppletive, active only)
indicative		singular			plural
indicative		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	praesum	praees	praeest	praesumus	praeestis	praesunt
	imperfect	praeeram	praeerās	praeerat	praeerāmus	praeerātis	praeerant
	future	praeerō	praeeris, praeere	praeerit	praeerimus	praeeritis	praeerunt
	perfect	praefuī	praefuistī	praefuit	praefuimus	praefuistis	praefuērunt, praefuēre
	pluperfect	praefueram	praefuerās	praefuerat	praefuerāmus	praefuerātis	praefuerant
	future perfect	praefuerō	praefueris	praefuerit	praefuerimus	praefueritis	praefuerint
subjunctive		singular			plural
subjunctive		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	praesim	praesīs	praesit	praesīmus	praesītis	praesint
	imperfect	praeessem, praeforem	praeessēs, praeforēs	praeesset, praeforet	praeessēmus, praeforēmus	praeessētis, praeforētis	praeessent, praeforent
	perfect	praefuerim	praefuerīs	praefuerit	praefuerīmus	praefuerītis	praefuerint
	pluperfect	praefuissem	praefuissēs	praefuisset	praefuissēmus	praefuissētis	praefuissent
imperative		singular			plural
imperative		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	praees	—	—	praeeste	—
active	future	—	praeestō	praeestō	—	praeestōte	praesuntō
non-finite forms		active			passive
non-finite forms		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		praeesse	praefuisse	praefutūrus esse, praefore	—	—	—
participles		praesēns	—	praefutūrus	—	—	—

praesum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
praesum in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
Félix Gaffiot (1934), “praesum”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to have the management of the state: rei publicae praeesse
- to perform official duties: munere fungi, muneri praeesse
- to be president of a court: iudicio praeesse
- to preside over an inquiry: quaestioni praeesse
- to be at the head of an army: praeesse exercitui
- to be commander-in-chief: imperii summae praeesse