LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“difficulty” in Latin

The English word difficulty itself goes back to Latin facilis, through difficultas.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

difficulty
difficultas (general term, especially in affairs, the execution of which requires the application of great strength and powerful means): negotium (the pains and labour necessary for the attainment of an object): impedimentum (hindrance by which the attainment of an object is delayed): nodus (the knot to be untied = the difficulty to be overcome in an intricate matter or question): scrupulus (the scruple, or disturbing doubt; the difficulty that a mind makes or finds in the consideration of anything). With difficulty, difficulter: difficiliter :aegre (opposed to secure or facile): vix vixque; vix aut ne vix quidem (scarcely, if at all): gravate or gravatim (setting about it with the feeling of unwillingness): there is nothing that I feel more difficulty in setting about, non (hoc tempore) quidquam difficilius facio: to make a difficulty about anything; to have great difficulty in bringing one’s self to do anything, aliquid aegre or invitum facere; gravari; absolutely or with infinitive (e.g., gravari litteras dare): without difficulty, haud difficulter: facile nullo negotio: sine negotio (easily; without trouble); haud gravate, haud gravatim (willingly). Under such difficulties, or in circumstances of such difficulty, tantis difficultatibus objectis. Difficulty in learning, speaking, etc., difficultas discendi, dicendi, etc.: the difficulties of the ground, difficultates locorum: the thing is one of great difficulty, or is surrounded with difficulties, res habet multum difficultatis or magnam difficultatem; res est in magna difficultate; res multis difficultatibus obstructa est: the thing is one of no difficulty, nihil est negotii: res nihil est negotii: there is no longer any difficulty; or, all the difficulty is overcome, nihil negotii superest: what difficulty is there? quid est negotii? I am aware of its difficulty, res quanta sit intelligo: there was difficulty in getting the corn conveyed (to a camp, etc.), minus commode frumentum supportabatur: to create or cause a difficulty, difficultatem afferre (of things or persons; e.g., publicanis, Cic.; in the way of anything, ad aliquid; to anybody, alicui): to make difficulties, cunctari (to delay): tergiversari (to make evasive excuses, and so try to escape): gravari (either absolutely or with infinitive: to set about it unwillingly). I shall make no difficulty, nihil in me erit morae. I shall throw no difficulties in your way in either case, neutra in re vobis difficultas a me erit: to meet with a serious difficulty, in magnam difficultatem incurrere: to remove a difficulty, difficultati mederi; nodum expedire (to remove a perplexity, a difficulty): to remove anybody’s difficulties (= scruple), scrupulum alicui eximere: to remove or conquer the difficulty of anything, infringere difficultatem alicujus rei :to make difficulties when there are none, nodum in scirpo quaerere (Prov., Ter., Andr., 5, 4, 38).
Difficulties (= pecuniary embarrassment), difficultas numaria: difficultas domestica (Cic., Cat., 1, 6, 14): inopia pecuniae or rei pecuniariae: inopia argenti or argentaria: inopia numaria: angustiae pecuniae. The pecuniary difficulties of a state, angustiae aerarii or pecuniae publicae. To be in difficulties, de pecunia laborare: to be in extreme difficulties, in summa difficultate numaria esse: to fall into the greatest difficulties, in summas angustias adduci: to relieve anybody from his difficulties, aliquem difficultate numaria eruere.
Objection; Vid.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for difficulty?
The usual Latin words for “difficulty” are difficultās, negōtium, impedīmentum; also nōdus, scrūpulus, argentārius. 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.