i would like to know if micro soft i Word 2019 is compatible with a 2012 Mac desktop

Firstly, it's important to note that the compatibility of Microsoft Word 2019 with your 2012 Mac desktop depends on the operating system that you're currently running. Microsoft Word 2019 requires macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or later. If your Mac is running an older version of macOS, you might need to update it before you can install Microsoft Word 2019.

Here's how you can check your macOS version:

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen.

2. Select "About This Mac".

3. In the window that appears, you'll see your macOS version under the "Overview" tab.

If your Mac is running macOS 10.14 or later, you should be able to install and run Microsoft Word 2019 without any issues. If not, you'll need to update your macOS.

Here's a link to Apple's guide on how to update your macOS:

• Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support

Please note that before updating your macOS, it's a good idea to back up your Mac. Here's a link to Apple's guide on how to back up your Mac:

• Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

A Google search turned up a university help desk site suggesting that Office 2019 needs macOS 12 (Sierra) or later, with the caveat that new versions might need later versions of the OS.

2012 iMacs can run anything from Mountain Lion to Catalina. Catalina breaks 32-bit applications – but posts in this Apple Community Discussion thread indicate that Office 2019 is 64-bit.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252636290

So I think the answer to "will it run" is probably "Yes." The question as to whether Microsoft will support it might be a little more iffy given that Catalina is no longer one of the most three versions of macOS. You might need to contact Microsoft to find out the answer to that question.

Since Microsoft no longer supports macOS Catalina, that means two things:

1. Existing installations of Microsoft 365, Office 2019 for Mac receive no further updates
2. No new installations of Microsoft 365, Office 2019/2021 for Mac on macOS Catalina due to the Microsoft no longer supporting this operating system.

You can confirm item 2 with Microsoft.

However, you should look into SoftMaker's Office 2021 for Mac which has a free trial and offers either a single purchase, or subscription for far less than Microsoft would charge for Office. It natively opens Microsoft Office documents and is an intentional clone with a familiar interface. This product runs on macOS High Sierra through Ventura, as well as other platforms. Their Office 2024 is currently in beta and those that purchase Office 2021 will get a free upgrade to Office 2024.

Another office suite that will run on old Macs is LibreOffice. It's a Free and Open Source office suite that has its own word processor and can read and write many Word documents.

https://www.libreoffice.org/

Version 7.5.3 (the "fresh" version) requires macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or higher. The previous ("still" a.k.a. mature) version will run on macOS 13 (High Sierra).

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/office-2019-for-windows-and-mac-faq-a8fed43d-4c11-404a-acc3-09eb46a3a7fb

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-and-office-resources?ms.officeurl=systemrequirements%3fms.officeurl%3dsystemrequirements&rtc=1

They say it is their policy to only support the most recent three major versions of macOS, as of the time that a particular version of Office 2019 is released, but I didn't see listings naming specific Office 2019 releases and specific versions of macOS.

Try and install it and find out. If it installs and you can activate it you have your definitive answer.