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.

sŭperstĭtĭo, ōnis, f. [super-sto; orig a standing still over or by a thing; hence, amazement, wonder, dread, esp. of the divine or supernatural].

  1. I. Excessive fear of the goas, unreasonable religious belief, superstition (different from religio, a proper, reasonable awe of the gods; cf.: religio veri dei cultus est, superstitio falsi, Lact. 4, 28, 11): horum sententiae omnium non modo superstitionem tollunt, in quā inest timor inanis deorum, sed etiam religionem, quae deorum cultu pio continetur, Cic. N. D. 1, 42, 117: majores nostri superstitionem a religione separaverunt, id. ib. 2, 28, 71; cf.: contaminata superstitio, id. Clu. 68, 194: nec vero superstitione tollendā religio tollitur, id. Div. 2, 72, 148: superstitio error insanus est, Sen. Ep. 123, 16: superstitiones aniles, Cic. N. D. 2, 28, 70: sagarum superstitio, id. Div. 2, 63, 129: tristis, Hor. S. 2, 3, 79: vana, Sil. 5, 125: magicas superstitiones objectabat, Tac. A. 12, 59: exitialis, id. ib. 15, 44: quam multi, qui contemnant (somnia) eamque superstitionem imbecilli animi atque anilis putent! Cic. Div. 2, 60, 125: barbara superstitio, id. Fl. 28, 67; id. Div. 1, 4, 7: quā (superstitione) qui est imbutus, id. Fin. 1, 18, 60; Quint. 3, 1, 22: victi superstitione animi, Liv. 7, 2, 3: captus quādam superstitione animus, id. 26, 19, 4: magna superstitio natalis amicae, Ov. A. A. 1, 417: quod novas superstitiones introduceret, Quint. 4, 4, 5: superstitio est timor superfluus et delirus, Serv. Verg. A. 8, 187: superstitionem mihi excute, Sen. Ep. 121, 4.
      1. 2. Transf., in gen.: superstitio praeceptorum, an excessive regard, scrupulous observance, Quint. 4, 2, 85.
    1. * B. Objectively, an object that inspires dread: adjuro Stygii caput implacabile fontis, Una superstitio superis quae reddita divis, Verg A. 12, 817.
  2. II. In post-Aug. prose sometimes for religio, religious awe, sanctity; a religious rite: hujus (virtutis) quādam superstitione teneantur, hanc ament, Sen. Ep. 95, 35: templi, Just. 39, 3, 9: superstitiones atque cura deorum, id. 41, 3, 6.