insto

See also: instó

Latin

Etymology

From in- (“after”) +‎ stō (“to stand”). The meaning developed from “stand behind” to “pursue, be imminent” to “press, urge”.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈin.stoː/, [ˈĩːs̠t̪oː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈin.sto/, [ˈinst̪o]

Verb

īnstō (present infinitive īnstāre, perfect active īnstitī, future active participle īnstātūrus); first conjugation, no supine stem except in the future active participle, third person-only in the passive

1. (ambitransitive) to stand upon, set foot on
2. to be nearby, close to, be imminent

   Synonyms: subsum, astō, immineo, stō, contingo, praesēns

   Antonyms: dissideō, distō, abstō

3. (ambitransitive, with accusative or dative) to assail, press upon, harass

   Synonyms: invādō, oppugnō, incurrō, impetō, incessō, aggredior, excurrō, concurrō, occurrō, petō, inruō, accēdō, intrō, incēdō, incidō, irrumpō, adorior, adeō, opprimō, accurrō, appetō, arripiō, assiliō, invehō, lacessō

   Antonyms: repugnō, resistō, adversor, obversor, obstō, sistō

   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita I.37:

     instantes cedentibus

     while pressing the retreating (soldiers)

4. (intransitive, with dative) to urge, pursue, insist, to be intent upon

   Synonyms: exsequor, persequor, sequor, cōnsequor, premō, agō, apīscor

5. (transitive) to urge (forward), ply
6. (intransitive) to be pressing, draw nigh, approach, threaten

   Synonym: immineō

Conjugation

   Conjugation of īnstō (first conjugation, no supine stem except in the future active participle, third person-only in the passive)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	īnstō		īnstās		īnstat		īnstāmus		īnstātis		īnstant
	imperfect	īnstābam		īnstābās		īnstābat		īnstābāmus		īnstābātis		īnstābant
	future	īnstābō		īnstābis		īnstābit		īnstābimus		īnstābitis		īnstābunt
	perfect	īnstitī		īnstitistī		īnstitit		īnstitimus		īnstitistis		īnstitērunt, īnstitēre
	pluperfect	īnstiteram		īnstiterās		īnstiterat		īnstiterāmus		īnstiterātis		īnstiterant
	future perfect	īnstiterō		īnstiteris		īnstiterit		īnstiterimus		īnstiteritis		īnstiterint
passive	present	—		—		īnstātur		—		—		īnstantur
	imperfect	—		—		īnstābātur		—		—		īnstābantur
	future	—		—		īnstābitur		—		—		īnstābuntur
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	īnstem		īnstēs		īnstet		īnstēmus		īnstētis		īnstent
	imperfect	īnstārem		īnstārēs		īnstāret		īnstārēmus		īnstārētis		īnstārent
	perfect	īnstiterim		īnstiterīs		īnstiterit		īnstiterīmus		īnstiterītis		īnstiterint
	pluperfect	īnstitissem		īnstitissēs		īnstitisset		īnstitissēmus		īnstitissētis		īnstitissent
passive	present	—		—		īnstētur		—		—		īnstentur
	imperfect	—		—		īnstārētur		—		—		īnstārentur
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		īnstā		—		—		īnstāte		—
	future	—		īnstātō		īnstātō		—		īnstātōte		īnstantō
passive	future	—		—		īnstātor		—		—		īnstantor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		īnstāre			īnstārī			īnstāns			—
future		īnstātūrum esse			—			īnstātūrus			īnstandum
perfect		īnstitisse			—			—			—
perfect potential		īnstātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		īnstandī		īnstandō		īnstandum		īnstandō		—		—

Descendants

• English: instant

References

• insto in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2025), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication

Further reading

• “insto”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “insto”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• insto in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • a war is imminent: bellum impendet, imminet, instat
    
  • to press the fugitives: fugientibus instare
    
• insto in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “instant”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Portuguese

Verb

insto

1. first-person singular present indicative of instar

Spanish

Verb

insto

1. first-person singular present indicative of instar