ought (v.) Copy link Outline 1. dēbeo, 2 (denoting obligation, in the most general way)2. ŏportet, uit, 2 (of moral obligation3. expr. by gerund. part.4. sometimes., dĕcet, 2 • ought (v.): 1. dēbeo, 2 (denoting obligation, in the most general way): Cic.: Caes. (pass.). 2. ŏportet, uit, 2 (of moral obligation: with Eng. subject in acc., foll. by infin.): those who o. to have been put to the sword, quos ferro trucidari oportebat, Cic. Cat. 1, 4, 9: you o. to have humoured the young man, adolescenti gestum (fuisse) morem oportuit, Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 6. Less freq. is subj. after oportet, WITHOUT CONJ.: cf. Cic. de Or. 1, 6, 20, ex rerum cognitione efflorescat et redundet oratio oportet: Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 49. N.B.--(1). Ought to have ... is regularly expr. by perf. of debeo or oportet, foll. by imperf. infin., as pecunia quam his oportuit dari (not datam esse), the money which o. to have been given. The use of the perf. infin. in such cases refers to the completion of the act referred to rather than the doing of it: cf. Cic. Cat. 1, 2, 6, hoc quod jam pridem factum esse oportuit, which o. to have been done out of hand long since. (2). The use of the past imperf. indic., debebam, oportebat., is often conditional, indicating that something o. to have been done which has not been done (= Gr. ἐχρῆν): cf. L. G. § 428, Obs. 3. expr. by gerund. part.: v. must (2). 4. sometimes., dĕcet, 2: v. becomes (it). (N.B.--Ought not may be expr. by non lĭcet., nĕfas est: v. lawful, unlawful.)