English → Latin
“courage” in Latin
animuslife, life force, soul, vitality (that life-giving aspect which animates a thing); conscience, intellect, mind, reason, fortitūdōstrength, force; fortitude, resolve; bravery, courage, valorvirtūsmanhood, manliness, virility; courage, valor, resoluteness, gallantry; virtue, goodnessferōxwild, bold, fierce; defiant, arrogantferōcitāsfierceness, ferocityaudāxbold, audacious, daring; presumptuousspīritusair, breath, breathing; light breeze; spirit, ghost
The English word courage itself goes back to Latin cor, through *corāticum.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
courage
animus; also in plur., animi, if speaking of several persons. [☞ OBSERVE, Of one person, animi should not be used (unless he is speaking of himself in the plur., ; e.g., stamus animis, Cic., Att., 5, 18), since its usual meaning is,” a proud spirit,” “pride,” etc.): of several, animi or animus maybe used; e.g., nostris animus augetur, Caes.; but in some constructions the sing. should not be used; e.g., one would not say animo cadere or excidere, of several.] : animus fortis; fortitudo (manly courage, ἀνδρεία): virtus (moral courage that shows itself in energetic action, and acts on the offensive): ferocia, ferocitas (natural, wild courage, of which wild beasts and even barbarians are capable): audacia (daring courage): spiritus (energetic courage): a man of extraordinary courage, vir ingentis spiritus: to possess or to have courage, animo forti esse: for anything, satis boni animi afferre ad aliquid. A man has not courage to do anything, alicui animus non suppetit, ut aliquid faciat (e.g., Vitruvio nec sana constare mens, nec, ut longius a castris dimicaret, animus suppetere, Liv.): not to have courage enough for anything, est parum animi ad aliquid; to take courage, animum or (of several persons) animos capere or colligere: to take courage again, animum or se recipere: I take courage again, animus mihi redit; animus redintegratur; animus me recipit: to inspire anybody with courage, to raise or kindle anybody’s courage, alicui animum facere, or afferre, or addere; alicujus animum incendere, erigere, augere, alicujus animum verbis confirmare (by exhortation); or simply, firmare or confirmare aliquem and alicujus animum: to be inspired with courage, to have one’s courage raised, alicui animus accedit (Cic.), augetur (Caes.), accenditur (Sall., Cat., 20, 6): to inspire anybody with fresh courage, animum alicujus redintegrare; animum alicui reddere: be of good courage, bono animo es; fac animo magno fortique sis: to be of good courage, stare animo, or, of several, animis: anybody’s courage begins to fail, animus labat: is failing, animu cadit: to lose one’s courage, animo or (of several persons) animis cadere or concidere; animum demittere or despondere, se animo demittere (*Caes., B.G., 7, 29): animo deficere: to have lost one’s courage, animo abjecto or fracto esse: never lose your courage in adversities, in duris haud umquam defice (Valerius, Fl., 4, 35): now show your courage, tu illum nunc adhibe animum.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for courage?
- The usual Latin words for “courage” are animus, fortitūdō, virtūs; also ferōx, ferōcitās, audāx. 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.