English → Latin
“complexion” in Latin
ingeniuminnate or natural quality, natural character; nature; disposition, temper, inclination; intelligence, natural capacitynātūrathe nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing; character, temperament, inclination, disposition; nature, the natuanimuslife, life force, soul, vitality (that life-giving aspect which animates a thing); conscience, intellect, mind, reason, cōnstitūtiōa constitution, disposition, nature, character; a definition; point in dispute; a regulation, order, arrangement, systemhabeōto have, hold; to own, have (possessions); to possess, have (qualities)temperātiōtempering; regulation
The English word complexion itself goes back to Latin plectō, through complexiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
complexion
colour of the face: color oris: from context color only: a healthy complexion, color verus: a fine complexion, color suavis; coloris suavitas: a good complexion, coloris bonitas: a very good complexion, color egregius: a very pale complexion, color exsanguis.
Temperament of the body: ingenium (the peculiarities of the mind): natura: (natural qualities as well of the constituent parts of the body as of the mental faculties of every being; nature): animus (mind, disposition of mind, character): constitutio (the temper formed by education): habitus (the internal and external condition or state of a matter, with all the objects of its existence): temperatio (temper).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for complexion?
- The usual Latin words for “complexion” are ingenium, nātūra, animus; also cōnstitūtiō, habeō, temperātiō. 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.