English → Latin
“contagious” in Latin
pestilēnspestilential, infected, unhealthy; noxious, destructive, pestilentcontāgiōsuscontagious, infectiousvegeōto move, excite, quicken, arouse; to be lively or activecontāgiōcontact, touch; intercourse (social); influencecontāgiumcontact, touching; contagionmorbusa disease, illness, malady, sickness, disorder, distemper, ailment; a fault, vice, failing; sorrow, grief, distresspestilentiainfectious or contagious disease; plague, pestilencecontingōto touch on all sides, take hold of, come into contact with; to reach (by moving), attain to, come to, arrive at, meet w
The English word contagious itself goes back to Latin contingō, through contagiosus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
contagious
pestilens: contagiosus (Veget., but used in modern medicine): a contagious disease, contagio (unclassical, contagium) morbi: pestilentia: vulgatus in homines morbus (of one that has proved itself contagious, Liv.). A contagious example, contactus (e.g., ceterae legiones, contactu bellum meditabantur, Tac.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for contagious?
- The usual Latin words for “contagious” are pestilēns, contāgiōsus, vegeō; also contāgiō, contāgium, morbus. 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.