Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. obstantĭa, ĭum, n., v. obsto fin. c.

2. obstantĭa, ae, f. [obsto], a standing before or against, a resistance, hinderance, obstruction (only in Vitr.): terrae, Vitr. 9, 5, 4: aëris, id. 6, 1: umbrarum, id. 8, 1.

ob-sto, stĭti, ātum (obstaturus, Front. Aquaed. 123; Quint. 2, 11, 1; Stat. Th. 7, 247; gen. plur. obstantum, Sil. 5, 277), 1, v. n., to stand before or against any thing.

  1. I. In gen. (very rare): soli luna obstitit, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 1, 16, 25 (Ann. v. 167 Vahl.); cf.: montibus obstipis obstantibus, id. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 193 Müll. (Ann. v. 407 ib.): dominae niveis a vultibus obstas, Stat. S. 1, 2, 23; so, summis a postibus, id. Th. 4, 17: obviam, to stand in the way, Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 14.
  2. II. In partic., to stand against or in the way of a person or thing; to withstand, thwart, hinder, oppose, obstruct (the class. signif. of the word; syn.: obsisto, adversor, officio).
    Constr. with dat., absol., with quin, quominus, cur, or ne.
          1. (α) With dat.: quae tardis mora noctibus obstet, Verg. A. 1, 746: alicui, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 6: cur mihi te offers ac meis commodis officis et obstas? Cic. Rosc. Am. 38, 112; cf. id. ib. 2, 6: vita cetera eorum huic sceleri obstat, their former life stands opposed to this crime, secures them against the suspicion of this crime, Sall. C. 52, 31: di omnes quibus obstitit Ilium, was an offence to, Verg. A. 6, 64: nam sic labentibus (aedibus) obstat vilicus, i. e. keeps from falling, Juv. 3, 194; cf. v. 243.
            For the dat. in with acc. is found: in laudem vetustorum invidia non obstat, Sen. Ben. 7, 8, 2.
          2. (β) Absol.: me obstare, illos obsequi, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 31, 66: restitant, occurrunt, obstant, id. ap. Non. 147, 9 (Sat. v. 5 ib.): obstando magis quam pugnando castra tutabantur, Liv. 40 25: exercitus hostium duo obstant, block up the way, Sall. C. 58, 6; Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 15: si omnia removentur, quae obstant et impediunt, Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 19.
          3. (γ) With quin: quibus non humana ulla, neque divina obstant, quin socios amicos trahant, exscindant, Sall. H. 4, 61, 17 Dietsch.
          4. (δ) With quominus: quid obstat, quominus sit beatus? Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 95: ne quid divini humanive obstet, quominus justum piumque de integro ineatur bellum, Liv. 9, 8, 6.
            (ε) With cur: quid obstat, cur non (verae nuptiae) fiant? Ter. And. 1, 1, 76.
            (ζ) With ne: Histiaeus Milesius, ne res conficeretur, obstitit, Nep. Milt. 3, 5: cum ibi quoque religio obstaret, ne non posset nisi ab consule dici dictator, Liv. 4, 31, 4: ne id, quod placebat, decerneret in tantae nobilitatis viris, ambitio obstabat, id. 5, 36, 9.
        1. b. Impers. pass.: nec, si non obstatur, propterea etiam permittitur, Cic. Phil. 13, 6, 14: indignatur amans Obstari animae, Ov. M. 11, 788.
        2. c. Part. pres. in plur. as subst.: obstantia, ĭum, n.: obstantia silvarum amoliri, hinderances, obstructions, Tac. A. 1, 50.