What is the Latin word for commotion?

The usual Latin words for “commotion” are tumultus, moveō, sēditiō; also turba, iactātiō, iactō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“commotion” in Latin

tumultusan uproar; bustle, violent commotion, disturbance, tumult; turmoil, panic; a storm, tempest, thunderclap; a sudden outbr moveōto move, stir, set in motion; to disturb, shake, remove; to arouse, excite, promote, produce sēditiōinsurrection, dissension, mutiny, sedition, rebellion, outbreak, uprising, riot; discord, strife, quarrel, turmoil, diss turbaturmoil, disorder, stir, disturbance, tumult, uproar, hubbub, commotion, trouble, confusion, disarray, brawl; mob, crowd iactātiōshaking, agitation iactōto throw, cast, hurl; to scatter, toss; to disturb, disquiet, torment, agitate, shock agitātiōmotion, movement; agitation; activity concitōto rush; to rouse up, agitate, move violently, stir up, excite, disturb; to spur, impel, incite

The English word commotion itself goes back to Latin moveō, through commōtiōnem.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

commotion

In the state: tumultus (Roman name for any sudden outbreak against them: e.g., of slaves, peasants, allies): motus: motus concursusque (commotion in the state): seditio (mutiny against the government): vis repentina (sudden commotion): turbae: commotion among the citizens, seditio domestica; to excite a commotion, turbas dare or facere (Ter.): tumultum facere (Sall.), concitare; seditionem facere, concitare, commovere, concire; to cause a violent commotion in the camp, maximas in castris turbas efficere (Cic.): to cause fresh commotions, novos tumultus movere (Horace): to cause commotions in a state, tumultum injicere civitati (Cic.) turbae ac tumultus concitatorem esse (Cic.): tumultum edere or praebere (Liv.): to quell the commotion, tumultum sedare (Liv.), comprimere (Tac.): seditionem sedare, lenire, tranquillam facere, comprimere, exstinguere: a commotion breaks out, seditio oritur, concitatur, exardescit: breaks out again, seditio recrudescit: it subsides, seditio languescit: it is appeased, seditio conticescit.

Any violent motion: motus: jactatio: jactatus: agitatio [SYN. in AGITATION]. tumultus (of the sea, the body; also of the mind, mentis): vehementior animi concitatio: animi permotio (of the mind): To put every thing in commotion, *miscere ac turbare or turbare ac miscere omnia. Vid: also, AGITATION.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for commotion?: The usual Latin words for “commotion” are tumultus, moveō, sēditiō; also turba, iactātiō, iactō. 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.