Etymologically
Log in

procrastino

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:18. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [proːˈkraːs.tɪ.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈkras.ti.no][1]

Forms

prōcrāstinō (present infinitive prōcrāstināre, perfect active prōcrāstināvī, supine prōcrāstinātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from prō- “forward” and crāstinus “of tomorrow”, from crās “tomorrow”, with the verb suffix -ō.[2][1][3] The TLL says it was formed after other verbs of delay with ⟨prō-⟩, such as prōferō, prōrogō and prōdūcō.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot's earliest citations are from Cicero's Pro Roscio Amerino and Verrines, of putting off a matter.[4] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put off till the next day, and more generally to postpone, delay, procrastinate, as Cicero's rem prōcrāstināre.[2][6][4] Döderlein explains that differre is delay in a negative sense, a thing not being done now, while prōferre and prōcrāstināre denote positive postponement to a later time.[7]

English procrastinate came in the 1580s, a back-formation from procrastination or from its participle.[8]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of putting off a matter.[4][5]
  • 1580s – English procrastinate is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To put off till tomorrow, postpone, procrastinate.[2][6]

Word family

  • prōcrāstinātiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com