English → Latin
“army” in Latin
exercitusexercise; trouble, affliction; an exercised, disciplined body of men, an armyaciēssharp edge or point; battle line; battle, engagementagmena train of something; multitude, host, crowd, flock; an army, column, troop, band; line or rank of troops; stream, coursmīlesA soldier.; A knight.; A man in boardgames such as ludus latrunculi and chess.vīsstrength; might; vigor; capability (physical)cōpiasupply, abundance, copiousness, wealth, riches; plenty, fulness, multitude; opportunity, facilities (the means of doing multitūdōA great number; multitude, numerousness.; A great number of people, crowd, mob, throng, multitude.pedesterwalking, pedestrian, on foot; of infantry, foot soldiers; prosaic, commonplaceequesterof or pertaining to an equestrian; of or pertaining to cavalry; knightly, belonging to the mounted knights
The English word army itself goes back to Latin arma, through armāre.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
army
exercitus: acies (army in battle array): agmen (army in marching order): milites (soldiers, especially when the individuals are meant: also the sing. miles, when “the soldier” = “the soldiers,” or “the army generally”): vires (the military forces): copiae (forces): often with armatorum, or peditum equitumque, or pedestres, equestres, pedestres equestresque, pedestres navalesque. To command or lead an army, exercitum ducere, exercitui praeesse: to levy an army, exercitum scribere or conscribere; milites scribere or legere; delectum habere (of the Roman consul: scribere or conscribere, to enroll the names of those who ought to serve): exercitum colligere, or conficere (not cogere), or parare, comparare: to hire an army of mercenaries, exercitum or copias mercede conducere: to recruit an army, exercitui snpplementum scribere (of setting down the names): exercitum supplere or reficere: to draw up an army (in order of battle), aciem instruere or instituere: to disband an army, milites mittere, dimittere or missos facere; militibusmissionem dare [SYN. tn DISBAND].
Great number, exercitus (e.g., corvorum, Verg.): multitudo: copia incredibilis; vis masna.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for army?
- The usual Latin words for “army” are exercitus, aciēs, agmen; also mīles, vīs, cōpia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.