English → Latin
“convert” in Latin
prosēlytuscome from abroad, foreign, strangemūtōto move, remove; to alter, change, modify, transform; to vary, diversifyvertōto turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve; to turn upside down, overturn, overthrow, fingōto shape, fashion, form, knead (dough); to touch, touch gently, stroke, stroke gently, handle; to adorn, dress, arrangetrānsfōrmōto transform (change in shape)trānsferōto bear, carry or bring across or over; transport, transfer, convey over; to copy, transcribe, transfer; to carry along trādūcōto lead, bring, transport or conduct across or over something; to parade, lead along; make a show of, expose to public rcorrigōto correct (set right); to straighten; to make alterations or improvements in, amend, reformēmendōto free from faults, correct, improve, remedy, amend, revise, cure; to correct by punishment, chastise, atone or compens
The English word convert itself goes back to Latin convertō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
convert s.
*proselytus (Scriptores Ecclesiastici, Tert.): *qui a patriis sacris ad aliena transiit. To make a convert of anybody; Vid: TO CONVERT.
convert
To change; TR., mutare (into anything, in aliquid): vertere (aliquid in aliquid): convertere in aliquem or aliquid (to convert anything or anybody into something or somebody else; e.g., Hecubam in canem; crimen in laudem; providentiae munera in mutuam perniciem, Quint.): convertere in formam alicujus rei (e.g., terras in freti formam, Ov.): fingere or formare in aliquid; transformare or transfigurare in aliquid; figurare in habitum alicujus rei (to give it the shape of something else); figurare in naturam alicujus rei (to communicate to it the properties of something else): transferre or traducere (in or ad aliquem or aliquid, or with adverb of motion to a place; huc, alio: to remove or change it from - to): To convert enmities into friendship, inimicitias in amicitiam traducere (Cic., ; of the ground or consideration that wrought the change): to convert pain into joy, dolorem gaudio mutare: to convert anybody’s gravity into mirth, alicujus animum ad hilaritatem risumque traducere (Cic.).
To change the use or destination of anything. To convert anything to one’s own use, aliquid suum facere: aliquid in se transferre (unjustly): convertere aliquid in suam rem or ad suum commodum (Cic.; tarn it to one’s own advantage or profit): to convert another man’s property to my own use: in meam rem aliena convertere (Cic., Off., 1, 14, 42): convertere in aliam naturam (to change into another nature).
To change beneficially; in a moral point of view, corrigere: emendare (to rectify): also mores alicujus emendare; aliquem ad virtutem revocare (with a aliqua re; e.g., a perdita luxuria, Nep., Dion, 6, 2); aliquem ad frugem corrigere or compellere (comically): aliquem in melius traducere (Sen., De Ir., 2, 13, extr.): one who is not capable of being converted, insanabilis.
With reference to opinion, aliquem de sententia deducere, demovere; in aliam mentem adducere; aliam mentem injicere; aliquem a consilio revocare (with reference to a purpose): opinione aliquem dejicere (with reference to a prejudice).
With reference to creed, *ad verum Dei cultum alicujus animum convertere.
To convert a proposition (in logic), idem, etc., retrorsum dicere. TO BE CONVERTED.
To be changed into a different substance, converti in aliam naturam: mutari in aliquid (e.g., in taurum): se vertere or convertere (in aliquid): transfigurari in aliquid (e.g., into a wolf, in lupum): abire in aliquid (e.g., oppidum abiit in villam).
In a moral point of view, mores suos mutare; in viam redire; ad virtutem redire or revocari; ad bonam frugem se recipere: morum mutationem facere; ad sanitatem redire - in melius traduci (Sen.): he is quite a converted character, totus factus est alius; commutatus est totus; in melius mutatus est.
In a matter of opinion, sententiam mutare: sententia sua decedere.
With reference to creed, *fictorum deorum superstitionibus purgari: *Christum sequi: *ad Christianam fidem transire (to embrace the Christian religion: of a heathen).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for convert?
- The usual Latin words for “convert” are prosēlytus, mūtō, vertō; also fingō, trānsfōrmō, trānsferō. 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.