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.

optĭmas (optŭm-), ātis, adj. [optimus], of or belonging to the best or noblest, aristocratic: res publica, quae ex tribus generibus illis, regali et optumati et populari confusa modice, Cic. Rep. 2, 23, 41 (from Non. 342, 31): matronae opulentae, optimates, Enn. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 6, 1 (Trag. v 294 Vahl.).
Hence, subst.: optĭmas (optŭm-), ātis, usually in plur.: optĭmātes (optŭm-), um and ĭum, comm., the adherents of the best men, in a political sense, i. e. the aristocratic party, the aristocrats (opp. populares, the popular party; cf.: primores, proceres): qui ita se gerebant, ut sua consilia optimo cuique probarent, optimates habebantur … sunt principes consilii publici, sunt, qui eorum sectam sequuntur, Cic. Sest. 45, 96: cum (summa rerum) est penes delectos, tum illa civitas optimatium arbitrio regi dicitur (opp. to the regnum and the civitas popularis), id. Rep. 1, 26, 42; so, in optimatium dominatu, id. ib. 1, 27, 43: contra voluntatem omnium optimatum, id. Inv. 2, 17, 52: plebis, et optimatium certamina, Tac. A. 4, 32: omnes optimates Juda et Jerusalem, Vulg. Jer 27, 20 et saep.
In sing.: dum pudet te parum optimatem esse, Cael. ap Cic. Att. 10, 9, A, 2.

opto, āvi, ātum, 1 (optassis for optaveris, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 75), v. a. [root op, whence Gr. ΟΠΤΩ, ὄψομαι; qs. to look out, pick out, = legere, eligere], to choose, select (anteclass. and poet.; syn. deligo): utrum vis, opta, dum licet, Plaut. Rud. 3, 6, 14; id. Aul. prol. 11: sapientius opta, Ov. M. 2, 102: non video hic, quid magnopere optem, Lucil. ap. Non. 358, 13: inhoneste parare divitias, Ter. And. 4, 5, 2: locum tecto, Verg. A. 1, 425: locum regno, id. ib. 3, 109: externos duces, id. ib. 8, 503: L. Furium optavit, Liv. 6, 25.
Hence, in relig. lang.: optatam hostiam, alii optimam, appellant eam, quam aedilis tribus constitutis hostiis optat, quam immolari velit, Fest. p. 186 Müll.

  • II. Transf., to wish, wish for, desire (the predominant signification of the word; cf.: volo, cupio, desidero, aveo): tua vita optanda est, Ter Phorm. 1, 3, 12: nihil nisi quod honestum sit, Cic. Off. 1, 20, 66: aliquid votis, Verg. A. 10, 279: vestitus, quem cupimus optamusque, Cic. Phil. 14, 1, 2: fortunam, id. Pis. 14, 32.
    With ut (class. and freq.): (Phaëthon) optavit, ut in currum patris tolleretur, Cic. Off. 3, 25, 94: numquam a dis immortalibus optabo. ut, etc., id. Cat. 2, 7, 15.
    With subj.: optavi, peteres caelestia sidera tarde, Ov. Tr. 2, 57.
    With inf.: hunc videre saepe optabamus diem, Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 29: cujus integrā re consilium exquirere optassem, Plin. Ep. 3, 4, 2: officia mandare, deponere optantibus, id. Pan. 87, 2: Darius equestri proelio decernere optabat, Curt. 3, 11, 1; 4, 12, 4: meliores liberos habere, Suet. Oth. 1 fin.; Tac. Or. 9.
    With acc. and inf.: impleri sinus optabamus, Quint. 10, 7, 23: ex Indiā sospitem ipsum reverti, Curt. 10, 1, 7: quem te esse opto, Cic. Fam. 10, 20, 3: omnes mortales sese laudarier optant, Enn. ap. Aug. Trin. 13, 6 (Ann. v. 551 Vahl.).
    Absol.: optare hoc quidem est, non docere, Cic. Tusc. 2, 13, 30; cf. id. Ac. 2, 38, 121; id Fat. 20, 47: optare alicui aliquid, to wish one any thing, in a good sense: equidem tibi bona optavi omnia, Plaut. Rud. 3, 2, 25: tibi optamus eam rem publicam, in quā, etc., Cic. Brut. 97, 331; but mostly in a bad sense (= imprecari): si totum exercitum mortem mihi optasse crederem, Liv 28, 27, 10: quid mali feci, ut mihi pejorem reditum quam exitum optares? Sen. Ben. 6, 37, 2: furorem et insaniam optare alicui, id. Pis. 20, 46; id. Tusc. 1, 44, 107: aliquid ab aliquo, to desire, require, demand any thing of any one: quodvis donum et praemium a me optato, id optatum feres, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 27: hoc et pallidus optas, pray for, Juv. 10, 189.
    Hence, op-tātus, a, um, P. a., wished, desired, longed for, agreeable, pleasing, pleasant, dear (class.): optati cives, populares, incolae, Plaut. Aul. 3, 1, 1: rumores, Cic. Fam. 16, 21, 1: gloria, Juv. 10, 187.
    Comp.: nihil mihi fuit optatius, quam, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 1, 5, 1.
    Sup.: vale, mi optime et optatissime frater, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 8, 2.
    1. B. Subst.: optātum, i, n., a wish, desire: di tibi semper omnia optata offerant, Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 21; cf. afferant, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 105: eveniunt optata deae. Ov. M. 6, 370: impetrare optatum, Cic. Off. 3, 25, 94: praeter optatum meum, against my wish, id. Pis. 20, 46: meis optatis fortuna respondit, id. Fam. 2, 1, 1: mihi in optatis est, it is my wish, I wish, id. ib. 2, 13, 2.
      Hence, adv.: optā-tō, according to one’s wish (class.): optato venire, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 26: mihi veneris, Cic. Att. 13, 28, 3: optato ventis aestate coortis, Verg. A. 10, 405.
      2. ‡† optostrōtum, i, n. [ὀπτόσ-στρωτόν],
    1. I. a brick pavement, Not. Tir. p. 164.