English → Latin
“detraction” in Latin
obtrectātiōdetraction; disparagementcalumniaA cunning device, trickery, artifice, sophistry, chicanery.; A pretence, evasion, subterfuge.; A misrepresentation, falscrīminātiōaccusation, complaint; calumny
The English word detraction itself goes back to Latin dētrahō, through dētractiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
detraction
obtrectatio (detraction from rivalry and jealousy; e.g., alienae gloriae): calumnia (backbiting, slander): criminatio (the blackening a character by accusations).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for detraction?
- The usual Latin words for “detraction” are obtrectātiō, calumnia, crīminātiō. 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.