lent upon request and at the will of the grantor

prĕcārĭus, a, um, adj. [id.], obtained by begging, entreaty, or prayer (opp. debitus and pro imperio; not freq. till the Aug. per.; perh. used by Cic. only adverbially; v. infra).

Lit.:

non orare solum precariam opem, sed pro debitā petere,

obtained by entreaty, from mere favor, Liv. 3, 47, 2; cf.:

tribunicia potestas, precarium, non justum auxilium ferens,

id. 8, 35:

vita,

Tac. H. 4, 76:

precariam animam inter infensos trahere,

id. A. 1, 42:

imperium (quasi precibus concessum, ac propterea, quandocumque lubeat, rursus adimendum, Orell.),

id. H. 1, 52. —Hence, as subst.: prĕcārĭum, ii, n., any thing granted or lent upon request and at the will of the grantor:

precarium est, quod precibus petenti utendum conceditur tam diu, quamdiu is qui concessit patitur: quod genus liberalitatis ex jure gentium descendit, et distat a donatione eo, quod qui donat sic dat, ne recipiat: qui precario concedit sic dat, quasi tunc recepturus, cum sibi libuerit precarium solvere,

Dig. 43, 26, 1.—

Transf., depending on the will of another, doubtful, uncertain, transient, precarious:

forma,

Ov. M. 9, 76:

sapiens corpus suum, seque ipsum inter precaria numerat,

precarious, uncertain, transitory things, Sen. Tranq. 11, 1: fulgor, passing quickly by, very transient, Symm. Or. ap. Val. 1, 6.— Hence, adv.: prĕcārĭō, by entreaty or request (class.):

hoc petere me precario a vobis jussit,

Plaut. Am. prol. 24:

cum aliquo agere precario,

id. Truc. 4, 1, 12:

vel vi vel clam vel precario,

Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 28:

si precario essent rogandi,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 23, § 59:

exegit,

Suet. Claud. 12:

praefuit,

on sufferance, Tac. Agr. 16:

precario studeo,

am obliged, as it were, to beg time for study, Plin. Ep. 7, 30, 4:

precario possidere,

by sufferance, Paul. Sent. 5, 6, 11:

ancillam quis precario rogaverit,

Dig. 43, 26, 10.