vincere
[wɪŋˈkeː.rɛ]
To conquer in Latin is vincere.
The verb means to acquire something by force of arms. It is often used in the context of winning a struggle or a battle.
Meaning: acquire by force of arms (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form is vincere, which expresses the concept of 'to conquer'. If you wish to say 'he/she/it conquers', use the third-person singular present indicative form vincit. The noun victor is a related word meaning 'conqueror' or 'winner'.
Did you know?
- While vincit means 'conquers', the Latin word for a physical chain or bond is vinculum, which comes from the same root. To the Romans, the act of conquering was inextricably linked to binding a prisoner.
- Roman military triumphs often featured a 'slave' whispering memento mori to the victor. This reminded the conqueror that despite his current glory, he was still mortal.
- The English word 'convince' shares the same root as vincere. In its earliest sense, to convince someone was to 'conquer' their argument or overcome their resistance with logic.
Examples in context
- Caesar Gallos vicitCaesar conquered the Gauls
- Hostes urbes superantThe enemies conquer cities
- Gladiator magnam victoriam reportavitThe gladiator brought back a great conquest
- Carthago romanos expugnavitCarthage conquered the Romans
- Veni, vidi, viciI came, I saw, I conquered
- Legiones vincere debemus.We must conquer the legions.
- Hostes vincere non possumus.We cannot conquer the enemies.
- Imperium vincere cupit.The empire desires to conquer.
Example conversation
Two Romans are discussing military strategy.
- LuciusAurelia, possumusne hanc terram vincere?Aurelia, can we conquer this land?
- AureliaIta, Luci, si exercitus noster fortis est.Yes, Lucius, if our army is strong.
- LuciusTunc vincere debemus cito.Then we must conquer quickly.
- AureliaVictoria nobis erit.Victory will be ours.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vincere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
