What is the Latin word for consider?

The usual Latin words for “consider” are spectō, contemplor, cōnsīderō; also intueor, contueor, perlūstrō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“consider” in Latin

spectōto watch, observe, look at, consider; to examine, try, test; to aim, strive, or endeavour after contemplorto observe, note or notice; to gaze at or regard; to contemplate cōnsīderōto examine, look at or inspect, survey; to consider, reflect, contemplate, meditate intueorto look at, upon or towards; to consider, regard, observe, give attention to, contemplate; to regard with admiration, ad contueorto look or gaze upon, behold, see, view, survey; to ponder, weigh, contemplate; to preserve (carefully), take care of, s perlūstrōto go over, wander, traverse; to visit, see, search, explore; to consider, examine, observe, survey, look at vīsōto look at, look into, stare at, view; to go to see, visit, call upon invīsōto visit; to look after or watch over perspiciōto see through something; to perceive or discern clearly circumspiciōto look around, over, for, upon; to survey, examine or review; to seek or search for, look about for something with desi

The English word consider itself goes back to Latin cōnsīderō.

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

consider

to look at anything carefully, spectare (general term): contemplari (especially of examining objects of art or nature, generally implying a calm but attentive contemplation): considerare (in order to judge of it; ☞ Cic., Off., 1, 41, 147; Gell., 2, 21): intueri (to look upon anything). (the words are found in this connection and order), intueri et contemplari: contueri (with great attention): oculis collustrare or perlustrare (in a scrutinising way): visere: invisere (to look upon near or close by; Vid: Görenz, Cic., Fin., 5, 11, p. 151): perspicere (in all its parts, to examine). (the words are found in this connection and order), contueri perspicereque: circumspicere (all round): oculis percurrere (superficially): intentis oculis contemplari (attentively). IMPR., with the mind: contemplari animo or animo et cogitatione: considerare secum in animo; or contemplari, considerare only. (the words are found in this connection and order), contemplari et considerare: referre animum ad aliquid: lustrare animo or ratione animoque: perlustrare animo or mente animoque: circumspicere mente (with all collateral circumstances attending anything): expendere: perpendere (to weigh): to consider anything as closely as possible, aliquid quam maxime intentis oculis, ut aiunt, acerrime contemplari: to consider the matter in its proper light, ad veritatem revocare rationem: to consider one’s self, considerare se ipsum cum animo; contemplatione sui frui.

To look upon, to reckon, spectare: intueri: habere, ducere: rationem alicujus rei habere or ducere: respicere aliquid (to weigh a matter): they all considered Pompey as a messenger from heaven, omnes Pompeium sicut aliquem de caelo delapsum intuebantur: to consider anybody as a father, aliquem in patris loco habere; observare aliquem et deligere ut alterum parentem: to consider anybody as one’s child, aliquem in liberorum numero habere: to consider anything (as) a fortunate circumstance, boni consulere aliquid (☞ Quint., 1, 6, 32): to be considered a good man, speciem boni viri prae se ferre; to consider anything an affront, ad or in contumeliam accipere aliquid: not to consider, negligere (aliquid): to consider the person, discrimen personae (discrimina personarum) servare: the judge has to consider the cause, not the person, non hominum, sed causarum oportet judicem totum esse: without considering the person, nullius ratione habita: delectu omni et discrimine omisso: omissis auctoritatibus.

To take into account; e.g., not to consider the expense, money, etc., pecuniae, sumptibus non parcere: to consider one’s self, suam rationem ducere: de se cogitare.

To reflect upon, commentari de re (to consider about anything), meditari; meditari (secum) de re or aliquid (to think over how anything is to be done). (the words are found in this connection and order), commentari atque meditari de re: considerare (secum in animo) aliquid or de re (to take into consideration): perpendere aliquid (examine carefully): aliquid reputare (secum), in or cum animo (calculate; e.g., the consequences of anything) cogitare aliquid or de re (general term to think or meditate about): to consider maturely, diu multumque secum reputare: toto animo or toto pectore cogitare: intendere cogitationem in aliquid: agitare mente, or animo, or in mente, or cum animo: volutare secum animo, in animo, or (with anybody) cum aliquo: volvere animo or secum: versare secum in animo (turn over in one’s mind; not in Cic., in Liv., and Sall., frequently): to consider with one’s friends, cum amicis volutare: to consider carefully, frequently, etc., multa secum reputare de re; etiam atque etiam reputare, quid etc.; videre etiam atque etiam et considerare, quid etc.; e.g., what is to be done, quid agendum: to consider every thing on all sides, omnia diligenter circumspicere; omnia ratione animoque lustrare; secum in animo versare unamquamque rem; after having considered and calculated every thing, circumspectis rebus omnibus rationibusque subductis: to consider all that can be urged both for and against anything, omnes in utraque parte calculos ponere.

To esteem, respect; Vid: these verbs.

To recompense, remunerari aliquem praemio: meritum praemium alicui persolvere (according to merit). Vid: To RECOMPENSE.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for consider?: The usual Latin words for “consider” are spectō, contemplor, cōnsīderō; also intueor, contueor, perlūstrō. 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.