English → Latin
“city” in Latin
urbsa city, walled town; the City, Romeoppidumtown (esp. of towns other than Rome, which was generally called Urbs)cīvitāscitizenship and its rights; often referring to Roman citizenship.; the state, body politic, citizens of a territory (colmūnicipiumtownship; municipality, towncolōniaA colony, settlement; A possession in land, land attached to a farm, estate; The people composing a colony, colonistspraeficiōto place in command, put in chargeoppidātimin every town; by towns, town by townpūblicusof or belonging to the people, state, or community; public, generaloppidānustown; provincial
The English word city itself goes back to Latin cīvis, through civitas.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
city
urbs (always with respect to the greatness, wealth, etc., of its inhabitants; hence, also, a capital city, and especially Rome): oppidum (as a place of habitation secured against attacks from without): civitas (the collective inhabitants of a city as bound together by common laws, institutions, and usages; the burgesses or freemen, as such; the city, in a civil regard): municipium (a free city, especially in, Italy, having its own laws and magistrates, whose inhabitants, if they had received the jus civile Romanum, were regarded as Roman citizens, had the right of voting at assemblies of the Roman people, and might hold public offices, but had not the Roman sacra; otherwise they were only permitted to serve in the Roman legions, and to stand for military offices): colonia (a Roman colony of citizens or allies): praefectura (a city suspected of disaffection, which was not governed by its own magistrates according to its own, laws, but by a prefect sent from Rome). City and country, urbs agrique. The territory of a city, territorium urbis: ager urbis. In all the cities; from city to city, oppidatim. At the expense of the city (i. e., of the public), sumtu publico, also publico.
The city (i. e., the people thereof), incolae urbis, urbani; oppidani.
“Freedom of the city,” Vid: CITIZENSHIP.
city
as adj. urbanus, or gen. urbis: oppidanus, or gen. oppidi. A city life, vita urbana. the city magistrates, magistratus urbani: publicus (if opposed to privatus).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for city?
- The usual Latin words for “city” are urbs, oppidum, cīvitās; also mūnicipium, colōnia, praeficiō. 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.