latin

latin — adjective

1. written or composed in the Latin language, the language used in ancient Rome and

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

written or composed in the Latin language, the language used in ancient Rome and for centuries afterwards in European education and religion

Example

The museum exhibit includes several Latin scrolls from the first century.

Latin + scroll / manuscript / inscription

Tariq spent the summer translating a Latin poem by the Roman writer Virgil.

translate a Latin + text / poem

Common collocations
  • Latin text
  • Latin manuscript
  • Latin inscription
  • Latin phrase
  • Latin prayer

Usage Note

This sense is used attributively before nouns like manuscript, text, inscription, or prayer — it describes the form, not the origin.

Common Mistakes

She found a Latin book' — this is correct but ambiguous. If the book is about learning Latin, say 'Latin textbook.
She found a Latin manuscript at the library.
'Latin' before a noun means 'written in Latin,' not 'about the Latin language.'

2. connected with the nations and traditions where people's everyday speech comes f

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

connected with the nations and traditions where people's everyday speech comes from ancient Roman language roots, for example Spanish, French, Italian, or Portuguese

Example

Felipe enjoys the Latin music that his grandparents brought from Cuba.

Latin music / dance / food / culture

The school offers classes in French, Spanish, and other Latin languages.

Latin + language / country / culture

Common collocations
  • Latin music
  • Latin dance
  • Latin culture
  • Latin languages
  • Latin America
Synonyms
  • Romance

    used specifically for languages (Romance languages), not for people or culture

  • Latin American

    narrower — refers only to the Americas, not to European Latin cultures

Antonyms
  • Germanic

    refers to the cultural or linguistic group of northern European peoples, e.g. German, Dutch, Scandinavian

Common Mistakes

Latin' alone does not mean 'from Latin America.
Use 'Latin American' for people and things from Central and South America. 'Latin' as an adjective refers to the broader Romance-language cultural group, which includes Europeans too.

latin — noun

Word family

  • Latin America
    proper nounB1
  • Latin American
    adjectiveB2
  • Latino
    nounB2
  • Latina
    nounB2
  • Latinize
    verbC1
  • Latinist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All three words relate to cultures and languages derived from Latin, but they differ in scope. 'Latin' is the broadest — it covers both European countries (Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Romania) and the Americas (where these languages are spoken). 'Romance' is a technical term used almost exclusively for the language family (Romance languages); you would not describe a person as 'Romance.' 'Latin American' is narrower: it refers only to the countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean, not to European Latin cultures. For example, an Italian is 'Latin' but not 'Latin American,' and a person from Brazil is both 'Latin' and 'Latin American' but not 'Romance' in everyday speech.

Latin ↗Romance ↗Latin American

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Latin alphabet
  • Latin script
  • Latin language
  • Latin music
  • Latin dance
  • Latin America
  • Latin culture

Adverbs

  • originally Latin
  • strictly Latin
  • in ancient Latin

Phrases

  • Latin for beginners
  • Latin to English
  • Latin and Greek

Prepositions

  • in Latin
  • from Latin
  • into Latin
  • of Latin

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'Latin' comes from Latin 'Latinus,' meaning 'of Latium' — the region in central Italy where the city of Rome was founded. The name 'Latium' may be related to the Latin word 'latus' (broad, wide), referring to the flat plains of the area. The word entered Middle English through Old French 'latin' in the 1300s, initially referring to the language of the church and scholarship.