I.to decide something by a contest (cf. cerno, II. C. b.); hence, to fight, struggle, contend, combat, implying great exertion, and usually a measuring of strength (class. in prose and poetry; most freq. in a trop. signif.; syn.: decerto, contendo).
I. Of a physical contest of strength; “mostly of battle: utrum igitur utilius Fabricio... armis cum hoste certare, an venenis?” Cic. Off. 3, 22, 87: “adulescentium greges Lacedaemone videmus ipsi incredibili contentione certantis pugnis, calcibus, unguibus, morsu denique,” id. Tusc. 5, 27, 77: “manu,” Sall. H. 2, 41, 6 Dietsch: “proelio,” id. J. 81, 3: “cum Gallis pro salute,” id. ib. 114, 2; cf. Tac. Agr. 5: “de ambiguo agro bello,” Liv. 3, 71, 2: “de imperio cum populo Romano,” Cic. de Or. 2, 18, 76: “de principatu armis,” Tac. H. 2, 47; cf. Suet. Vesp. 5: “odiis etiam prope majoribus certarunt quam viribus,” Liv. 21, 1, 3: “acie,” Verg. A. 2, 30 et saep.—Impers.: dignus quicum certetur, Pac. ap. Non. p. 473, 16: certatur limine in ipso Ausoniae, Verg. A. 10, 355; 11, 313: “die quo Bedriaci certabatur,” Tac. H. 2, 50: “quā in parte rex pugnae affuit, ibi aliquamdiu certatum,” Sall. J. 74, 3: “in cujus (amnis) transgressu multum certato pervicit Vardanes,” Tac. A. 11, 10; id. H. 4, 61.—Mostly poet. in pass.: “certata lite deorum Ambracia (for the possession of which Apollo. Diana, and Hercules contended),” Ov. M. 13, 713: “certatus nobis orbis (i. e. de quo certavimus),” Sil. 17, 342; cf. II. infra.—
II. Out of the sphere of milit. operations, to contend, struggle, strive, emulate, vie with: certabant urbem Romam Remoramne vocarent, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 85 Vahl.): haut doctis dictis certantes sed maledictis, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10, 4 (Ann. v. 274 ib.): “minis mecum, minaciis,” Plaut. Truc. 5, 56: “malitiā tecum,” id. Pers. 2, 2, 56: “benedictis,” Ter. Phorm. prol. 20: “certare ingenio, contendere nobilitate,” Lucr. 2, 11: “cum aliquo dicacitate,” Cic. Brut. 46, 172: “officiis inter se,” id. Fam. 7, 31, 1; cf.: “certatum inter collegas maledictis,” Liv. 5, 8, 13; and: “eo modo inter se duo imperatores certabant,” Sall. J. 52, 1: “cum civibus de virtute,” id. C. 9, 2: “pro sua quisque potentia,” id. ib. 38, 3: “contumaciā adversus contemnentes humilitatem suam nobiles certavit (Licinius),” Liv. 9, 46, 4: cum usuris fructibus praediorum, to contend against interest (to strive to pay interest) with the produce of estates, Cic. Cat. 2, 8, 18: cum a Cheruscis Longobardisque pro antiquo decore aut recenti libertate; “et contra, augendae dominationi certaretur,” Tac. A. 2, 46: “ob hircum,” Hor. A. P. 220: “joco,” id. C. 2, 12, 18: “mero,” id. ib. 4, 1, 31: “animis iniquis,” Verg. A. 10, 7: “parsimoniā et vigiliis et labore cum ultimis militum,” Liv. 34, 18, 5: “sententiis,” Tac. A. 1, 29 al.: “ut si nautae certarent, quis eorum potissimum gubernaret,” Cic. Off. 1, 25, 87: “mos gentis est, equitare jaculari cursu cum aequalibus certare,” Sall. J. 6, 1: “dic mecum quo pignore certes,” Verg. E. 3, 31: “celeri sagittā,” id. A. 5, 485: “certemus, spinas animone ego fortius an tu Evellas agro,” Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 4.— Poet., with acc.: hanc rem ( = de hac re), Sedigit. ap. Gell. 15, 24; cf. in pass.: “cui (multae) certandae cum dies advenisset,” Liv. 25, 3, 14.—With dat. instead of cum: “solus tibi certat Amyntas,” Verg. E. 5, 8; Hor. S. 2, 5, 19; id. Epod. 11, 18; 2, 20; id. C. 2, 6, 15; Verg. E. 8, 55; id. G. 2, 138; Ov. M. 14, 794.—
2. Particularly of judicial disputations, to contend at law: “inter se,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 16, § 39; cf. id. ib. 2, 2, 13, § “32: in centumvirali judicio,” id. de Or. 1, 39, 177: “si a duumviris provocarit, provocatione certato,” Liv. 1, 26, 6: “si quid se judice certes,” Hor. S. 2, 1, 49: “foro si res certabitur olim,” id. ib. 2, 5, 27.—
3. With inf. (mostly poet.), to strive to do something, to labor, endeavor, struggle earnestly, to exert one's self: “certantes ad summum succedere honorem,” Lucr. 5, 1123; so, “inter se cernere,” id. 5, 394: “dimittere se (nubes),” id. 6, 509: “populum alium suorum sepelire,” id. 6, 1247: “Phoebum superare canendo,” Verg. E. 5, 9: “superare,” Ov. M. 5, 394: “vincere,” Verg. A. 5, 194: “tollere (hunc) tergeminis honoribus,” Hor. C. 1, 1, 8: “inter se eruere quercum,” Verg. A. 4, 443: “certat quisque evadere,” Curt. 9, 4, 33: “frangere fluctus,” Plin. Pan. 81 fin.; Sil. 13, 222; Stat. S. 5, 3, 191.