LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

doctor

doctor m (genitive doctōris, feminine doctrīx or doctorissa)
Classical[ˈdɔk.tɔr]Ecclesiastical[ˈdɔk.tor]

Meaning

  1. masculineteacher, instructor
    […] et validos partim prae se misere leones cum doctoribus armatis saevisque magistris[…] and some let out before them strong lions, with armed trainers and fierce masters to manage them and hold them in restraints,c. 99 BCE – 55 BCE, Lucretius, De rerum natura 5.1310–1312
  2. EcclesiasticalLatinmasculinecatechist, Doctor of the Church

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Doctor · Præceptor · Magister

Doctor means the teacher, as far as he imparts theory, with reference to the student, in opp. to the mere hearer; præceptor, as far as he leads to practice, in reference to the pupil, in opp. to the mere scholar; magister, in a general sense, with reference to his superiority and ascendency in knowledge, in opp. to the laity. Cic. Orat. iii. 15. Vetus illa doctrina eadem videtur et recte faciendi et bene dicendi magistra, neque disjuncti doctores, sed iidem erant vivendi præceptores atque dicendi. And. Mur. 31. (vi. 105).

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativedoctordoctōrēs
genitivedoctōrisdoctōrum
dativedoctōrīdoctōribus
accusativedoctōremdoctōrēs
ablativedoctōredoctōribus
vocativedoctordoctōrēs

doctor, ōris, m. doceo,
I. a teacher, instructor, Cic. de Or. 1, 6, 23; 3, 15, 57; id. Div. 1, 3, 6; id. Or. 33, 117; Quint. 2, 2, 2; Hor. C. 4, 6, 25; id. S. 1, 1, 26; Vulg. Matt. 22, 35 et saep.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*deḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*doḱ-éye-ti
  3. Proto-Italic*dokejō
  4. Proto-Italic*dokeō
  5. Latindoctor

Ancient Greek διδάσκω (didáskō)sl. Latin doceō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin doctor From doceō (“to teach”) + -tor.

Elsewhere
  • Portuguesedoutorfrom Old Galician-Portuguese doutor
  • Sardinianduttore
  • Sardiniandatori
  • Catalandoctor
  • GermanDoktor
  • Romaniandoctorfrom German Doktor
  • GermanDoctor
  • GermanDr.
  • Englishdoctorfrom Old French doctur
  • Frenchdocteurfrom Old French doctur
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italiandottore
  • Dalmatiandotuar
  • Siciliandutturi
  • Maltesedottor

Quick answers

What does doctor mean in Latin?
doctor, a noun, means “teacher, instructor; catechist, Doctor of the Church”.
What is the genitive of doctor?
The genitive singular is doctōris. doctor is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce doctor?
In classical Latin, [ˈdɔk.tɔr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈdɔk.tor].
Where does doctor come from?
Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- → Proto-Indo-European *doḱ-éye-ti → Proto-Italic *dokejō → Proto-Italic *dokeō → Latin doctor.