Translation
utterly, entirely; certainly, indeed
Examples
.
He understood absolutely nothing.
.
The matter stands entirely otherwise.
.
This is certainly true.
desperabant.
They utterly despaired of the war.
.
Absolutely nobody replied.
Prorsus is a worn-down pro versus, "turned forwards", and the oldest sense is spatial: straight ahead, without turning. That survives in prorsa oratio, forward-going speech, which is where the word prose comes from: language that walks on instead of turning back at the end of a line as verse does.
In practice you will meet it as an intensifier, utterly or absolutely, and with a negative as "not at all". The thing not to do is read the original sense into it and translate it as "then" or "next". Prorsus strengthens a statement, it does not order events. Beside it sits rursus, the same formation built on re-, "turned back", meaning again.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueLatin · Free printables
prorsus: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "prorsus" (utterly, entirely; certainly, indeed): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 11.