English → Latin
“decoration” in Latin
ornātĭoan adorningexōrnātiōdecoration, embellishment (especially to speech)colōto cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden; to inhabit; to frequent, be the guardian of, cherish,ōrnōto furnish, equip, outfit, prepare; to adorn, ornament, decorate; to honor, commend, praiseōrnāmentumequipment, apparatus, furniture; decoration, ornament, embellishment; adornment, (plural) regaliaapparōto prepare or make ready for something, put in order, provide, furnish, equip, organize; to provide or equip in addition
The English word decoration itself goes back to Latin decus, through decoratio.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
decoration
ornatio; exornatio (as acts): as the ornaments themselves, cultus (taken collectively): ornatus; ornamentum (taken separately; e.g., of theatrical decoration): apparatus (the whole supply of objects with which to decorate anything): to change the decorations (of a theatre), mutare speciem ornationis (Vitrvius, 5, 6, 8).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for decoration?
- The usual Latin words for “decoration” are ornātĭo, exōrnātiō, colō; also ōrnō, ōrnāmentum, apparō. 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.