List of English words of Latin origin - Definition and Overview

Because Latin words make up some 60% of the language, this is necessarily a deeply incomplete list of English language words of Latin language origin, a full list of which would be tens of thousands of words long. This list contains words that meet the following criteria:

1. They have come directly into some form of English (Old, Middle, etc.) from some form of Latin (Old, etc.)--not by way of an intervening Romance language.
2. They are currently used colloquially, in speech and casual writing by modern lay speakers of English, meaning we don't want your fancy obscure legal terms, bucko.

A

Abacus - Abdication - Abdomen - Aberration - Abhor - Abject - Abnegation - Abolition - Abomination - Abortion - Abrade - Abrogate - Abrupt - Absent - Absolute - Absolve - Absorb - Abstemious - Abstinence - Abstruse - Absurd - Academy - Accelerate - Accept - Accede - Acclaim - Accommodate - Accumulate - Accurate - Accuse - Accusative - Acerbic - Acid - Acquiesce - Acquire - Acrid - Act - Actuary - Acumen - Acute - Adapt - Add - Addict - Adept - Adhesion - Ad hoc - Ad hominem - Ad infinitum - Adjective - Adipose - Adjudicate - Adjunct - Administrator - Admire - Admit - Admonish - Ad nauseam - Adolescent - Adopt - Adore - Adorn - Adulation - Adult - Adultery - Advent - Adversary - Advocacy - Aerate - Affect - Affix - Affinity - Affirm - Afflict - Affluent - Agenda - Agglomerate - Agglutinative - Aggravate - Aggregate - Agility - Agitate - Agrarian - Agriculture - Albedo - Albumen - Aleatory - Alga - Alias - Alibi - Alien - Alimentary - Allege - Alleviate - Alliteration - Allusion - Alluvial - Alma mater - Alms - Altar - Altercation - Alter ego - Alternate - Altitude - Alumnus - Alveolus - Ambient - Ambiguous - Ambition - Amble - Amenity - Amiable - Amicable - Amplify - Amputate - Anchor - Ancillary - Anguish - Anima - Animal - Animate - Animus - Annals - Annex - Anniversary - Annual - Antecedent - Antenna - Anticipation - Antique - Antiquity - Anus - Anxiety - Aperture - Apex - Apiary - Apparatus - Apparition - Appease - Appellation - Appendix - Appetite - Applause - Apply - Apprehend - Approval - Apt - Aquatic - Aquifer - Arable - Arbiter - Arbor - Arc - Arcane - Ardor - Area - Arena - Argument - Arid - Arithmetic - Arm - Armature - Armillary - Armor - Ark - Arrogance - Art - Artery - Articulate - Artifice - Ascend - Ascribe - Asinine - Aspect - Aspersion - Aspire - Aspirate - Assault - Assent - Assert - Assiduous - Assignment - Assimilation - Assist - Assume - Astute - Atavism - Atrocity - Attention - Attenuate - Attraction - Attribute - Auction - Audacity - Audience - Audit - Augment - Augury - August - Aura - Auspice - Author - Autumn - Auxiliary - Avarice - Averse - Avian - Avid - Avuncular - Axis - Axle

B

C

Carpe diem

D

De facto - Disambiguation

E

Edify - Emulate - Equal - Equanimity - Equation - Equator - Equity - Equinox Equip - Ergo - Estuary - Eternity - Ether - Ethereal

F

Fame - Fate - Favor - Feline - Finish - Flame - Flora - Focal - Focus - Fraternity - Frigid - Fruit (fructus) - Frustrate - Fugitive- Fume

G

H

I

Ibex- Ibidem- Id est- Inadvertent - Intestine- Irritable-

J

Juvenile

K

L

Lynx

M

Magnificent- Mandate- Marine- Maximum- Me- Memorabilia- Millenium- Migrate- Military-

Minimum-

Minor- Miserable- Mortal- Mortis- Move- Multitude- Murmur- Mutual-

N

O

Obscene

P

Placebo - Puerile

Q

R

S

Salary - Scene - Scenic - Senate

T

U

Utopia- Uvula

V

Vacation - Vacillate - Verbatim - Vernacular - Veto - Vulgar -

W

X

Y

Z

See also

• List of Latin phrases
• Latin influence in English
• Lists of English words of international origin