Lewis & Short

prae-pōno, pŏsui, pŏsĭtum, 3 (old perf. praeposivi, Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 11.
Sync. form praepostus, Lucr. 6, 999), v. a., to put or set before, to place first (syn.: praefero, praeficio).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: versus, in primā fronte libelli, Ov. Tr. 1, 7, 33: praeponens ultima primis, Hor. S. 1, 4, 59; Cic. Att. 7, 3, 10: oportet, ut aedibus ac templis vestibula et aditus, sic causis principia proportione rerum praeponere, id. de Or. 2, 79, 320: de quā priusquam respondeo, pauca praeponam, I will first make a few observations, id. Fam. 11, 27, 1.
    2. B. In partic., to place or set over as chief, commander, or superintendent, to place at the head of, intrust with the charge or command of; to appoint or depute as: unum illum ex omnibus delegistis, quem bello praedonum praeponeretis, to appoint commander in the war, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 22, 63: hibernis Labienum praeposuit, Caes. B. G. 1, 54: sinistro cornu Antonium praeposuerat, id. B. C. 3, 89: aliquem provinciae, to appoint as governor, Cic. Fam. 2, 15, 4: negotio, to charge with the management of an affair, id. ib. 15, 4, 10: navibus, to appoint admiral, id. Verr. 2, 5, 38, § 101: vectigalibus, to appoint minister of finance, Tac. A. 15, 18: Bibulus toti officio maritimo praepositus, superintendent of all maritime affairs, Caes. B. C. 3, 5: praepositus cubiculo, chamberlain, Suet. Dom. 16: sacerdos oraculo praeposita, that presides over, Cic. Div. 1, 34, 76: aliquem custodem alicui loco, to appoint keeper of a place, Ov. Tr. 3, 1, 67: illum exercitibus, Juv. 10, 92.
    3. C. To place or set upon: fronti praeponere olivam, Hor. C. 1, 7, 7 (cf.: comis praetexere frondes, Sen. Med. 70).
  2. II. Trop., to set before or above, to prefer: lucrum praeposivi sopori et quieti, Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 11: se alteri, Ter. And. 1, 1, 38; id. Eun. 1, 2, 59: salutem rei publicae vitae suae, Cic. Phil. 9, 7, 15: amicitiam patriae, id. Rab. Perd. 8, 23: necessaria gloriosis, Vell. 2, 110, 3: multum mihi praestat, si me Mazaeo generum praeponit, Curt. 4, 11, 20: Prochytam Suburrae, Juv. 3, 5.
    Hence, praepŏsĭtus, a, um, P. a.
    As subst.
    1. A. praepŏsĭtus, i, m., a prefect, president, head, chief, overseer, director, commander: legatorum tuorum, Cic. Pis. 36, 88; Tac. H. 1, 36: quod (milites) praepositos suos occiderant, Suet. Oth. 1: rerum curae Caesaris, director, S. C. ap. Plin. Ep. 8, 6, 13: aquarum, water-inspector, Front. Aquaed. 17; 100; 117: cubiculi, a chamberlain, Amm. 14, 10, 5.
      Of the governor of a province; with dat.: Illyrico, Dalmatiae, etc., Vell. 2, 112, 2; 2, 116, 2; absol., Suet. Galb. 12; 16; id. Oth. 1 al.; Vulg. Act. 7, 10.
    2. B. praepŏsĭta, ae, f. (eccl. Lat.), a prioress or abbess, Aug. Civ. Dei, 21, 8; id. Ep. 211.
    3. C. With the Stoics, praepŏsĭta, ōrum, n., for the Gr. προηγμένα, preferable or advantageous things, but which are not to be called absolutely good; such as wealth, beauty, etc. (class.): ista bona non dico, sed dicam Graece προηγμένα, Latine autem producta: sed praeposita, aut praecipua malo, Cic. Fin. 4, 26, 72 sq.: bonum negas esse divitias, praepositum esse dicis, id. ib. 4, 26, 73; cf. also, id. ib. 3, 16, 52; 54.