answer (v.) Copy link Outline I. To speak or write with reference to what has previously been spoken or written1. respondĕo, di, sum, 22. rescrībo, scripsi, scriptum, 3 (only of written answers3. rĕfĕro, tŭli, lātum, 3 (rare)II. To correspond toIII. To operate or succeed agreeably to our expectationsIV. To pay, satisfy; q. v. Phr.V. To solve; q. v. • answer (v.): I. To speak or write with reference to what has previously been spoken or written: 1. respondĕo, di, sum, 2: (of both speaking and writing: with dat. of person; acc. of thing, with ad): to a. questions, ad interrogata r., Cic.: I will a. you point by point, ego tibi respondebo ad singula, Cic.: Aelius a.'d the speech, orationi respondit Aelius, Cic.: to a. a person who asks for one's advice on a point of law, de jure consulenti r., Cic.: I will first a. your last page, respondebo primum postremae tuae paginae, Cic.: to a. arguments, argumentis r., Cic.: he a.'d the ambassadors that he would take time to deliberate, legatis respondit diem se ad deliberandum sumpturum, Caes.: also absol.: they often do not a. at the time, saepe non respondent ad tempus, Cic.: I rose to a., ad respondendum surrexi, Cic.: I will a. for Brutus, (i. e. as his representative), pro Bruto respondebo, Cic.: no one a.'d to his name, ad nomen nemo respondebat, Liv.: they a.'d that the Rhine was the boundary of the Roman empire, responderunt populi R. imperium Rhenum finire, Caes. 2. rescrībo, scripsi, scriptum, 3 (only of written answers: with ad or dat.): in this letter I have a.'d that which I had received, his literis ad eas rescripsi quas acceperam, Cic.: a letter from Pompey was delivered to me; I immediately a.'d him, redditae mihi literae sunt a Pompeio: ei statim rescripsi, Cic. 3. rĕfĕro, tŭli, lātum, 3 (rare): to a. a plea, defensioni r., Cic.: I a. you, tibi refero, Cic.: Anna a.s, A. refert, Virg.: v. to reply. II. To correspond to: respondĕo, 2: your good qualities a. the expectation of men, tua virtus opinioni hominum r., Cic.: our good will towards our friends fully a.s their good will towards us, nostra in amicos benevolentia illorum erga nos benevolentiae pariter aequaliterque r., Cic.: v. to correspond, agree. III. To operate or succeed agreeably to our expectations: respondeo: the double vine does not a. well, except in rich soil, gemella vitis non respondet, nisi in praepingui solo, Col.: vines a. better (when propagated by) the layer, melius propagine vites r., Virg.: so of remedies which a. their purpose: Cels.: v. to succeed. IV. To pay, satisfy; q. v. Phr.: the fire of our ships a.'d that of the enemy, *a nostris acriter est responsum telis ex hostium navibus conjectis: the ship having been drawn into the whirlpools did not a. its helm, vorticibus intorta navis gubernaculi impatiens erat, Curt. V. To solve; q. v.: creditoribus satisfacere.
answer (subs.) Copy link Outline I. A reply1. responsum2. responsĭo (less frequent)II. A legal replyIII. A solution (of a problem) • answer (subs.): I. A reply: 1. responsum: a.s to demands, postulatis responsa, Caes.: to give an a. to any one, alicui r. reddere, Cic.: the a. of the senate, r. senatus, Liv.: to receive an a., r. ferre, Cic.: to beg for an a., r. petere, Hor. 2. responsĭo (less frequent): an interpretation not deserving of an a., interpretatio indigna responsione, Cic.: an a. to one's own arguments, sibi ipsi r., Cic. Phr.: they say that you give no a., te nihil respondere dicunt, Cic.: let him take care what a. he gives about them, videat quid de illis respondeat, Cic.: to give an a. on a point of law, de jure respondere, Cic.: if I were to decline to give an a. to the senator when he asks a question, I should seem proud, interroganti senatori si reticeam, superbus videar, Liv. II. A legal reply: dēfensĭo: an a. to a charge, crimini d., Cic.: the whole of what you have said admits of a short a., ad istam omnem orationem brevis est defensio, Cic.: the a. of Cicero, d. Ciceronis, Suet..: Plin. III. A solution (of a problem): q. v.
ANSWER Copy link • ANSWER 1. respondere, to anything, ad aliquid or alicui rei (PROP., by word of mouth: opposed to rescribere; then by word of mouth, or by letter): responsum dare, edere, reddere (give an answer): rescribere, to anything, ad aliquid or alicui rei (to give a written answer to a written question): excipere aliquem or alicujus sermonem (to take up the discourse it can only imply that an answer is given to the preceding one). To answer an objection, referre: reponere: respondere contra aliquid: id quod opponitur refutare: respondere de jure: responsitare (to answer legal questions whenever applied to: of jurists): respondere: se defendere: se porgare (to answer an accusation: criminibus respondere). To answer a question or questions, respondere ad interrogata (rogata) or ad ea, quae: quaesita sunt: not to answer, non respondere: tacere: obmutescere: to answer nothing, nullum responsum dare: nullum verbum respondere: omnino nihil respondere: to answer boldly, fiercely, etc., fortiter, audacter, ferociter respondere: to answer courteously (by letter), rescribere humanissime. It is easy to answer this, hujus rei facilis et promta est responsio. To answer anybody again, respondere alicui: obloqui alicui: par pari respondere (to [give?] him as good as he brings, Plaut.). To answer (= be accountable) for anything, rationem reddere alicujus rei or de aliqua re. To answer for (= be surety for) anybody or anything, intercedere pro aliquo (also intercedere peconiam pro aliquo: to be his surety by consenting to forfeit a sum of money if he does not perform the thing in question): praestare aliquem, aliquid or de re (to be surety, to answer for, in a wider sense): spondere, fidem interponere, pro aliquo: vadem tieri ejus sistendi (to answer for anybody’s appearance): praedem fieri pro aliquo and alicujus rei: obsidem alicujus rei fieri: also vadem se dare alicui pro aliquo. [SYN. in SURETY.] I will answer for it, that, praestabo with accusative and infinitive. To answer to one’s name, ad nomen respondere; vocatum (participle) respondere. Correspond to, suit with, respondere alicui rei, or absolutely: ex altera parte alicui rei respondere (to be its counterpart): concinere: congruere: convenire. [SYN. in AGREE.] To answer men’s expectations, opinioni bominum respondere. The event does not answer his expectations, eventus alicui non respondet ad spem; res longe aliter, ac quis ratus erat (or speraverat), evenit. There is no Latin word which answers more nearly to the Greek ἡδονή than voluptas: nullum verbum inveniri potest, quod magis idem declarat Latine, quod Graece ἡδονή, quam declarat voluptas. To answer the demands or claims of one’s creditors, creditoribus satisfacere: creditores absolvere or dimittere (Gierig, Plin., Ep., 2, 4. 2). To answer anybody’s expectation, exspectationem alicujus explere; respondere alicujus exspectationi (opposed to decipere alicujus exspectationem, not to answer, etc.). To answer for (= serve for) anything, pro aliqua re esse or esse posse: alicui rei or ad aliquam rem utile esse (of being useful for a purpose). Sometimes usui esse ad aliquid idoneum esse ad aliquid, or bonum esse alicui rei or ad aliquid. To succeed well, prospere cedere, prospere, or bene, or pulchre procedere; prosperesuccedere, or succedere only. Answer like an echo, resonare (gloria virtuti resonat tamquam imago, Cic.). A ship does not answer to the helm, non habilis est gubernaculo (Velleius): impatiens est gubernaculi (Curt.). = to succeed, respondere (e.g., aliquid .... quod non ubique fortasse, sed saepius tamen etiam respondeat, Cels., praefatio). Vid: SUCCEED. 2. s. responsio: responsum (general term, the former, in Quint., a refutation; the latter, also the answer of an oracle): defensio: excusatio: purgatio (reply to a charge): oraculum: sors oraculi (oracular response): rescriptum (written reply of a prince: Silver Age). An answer given to one’s self to a question put by one’s self (of an orator), sibi ipsi responsio, subjectio (ἀνθυποφορά). Answer to an objection that might be made, anteoccupatio: praesumtio (πρόληψις). Sharp, witty answers, acute responsa. To give an answer. Vid: TO ANSWER. To receive an answer, responsum ferre, auferre. I receive an answer to my letter, meis litteris respondetur or rescribitur. I got for answer, responsum mihi est; responsum datum est. To bring back an answer, responsum referre, renunciare.