English → Latin
“disperse” in Latin
dispellōto drive asunder, scatter, disperse; to drive away, scatter, dispel, put an end todispergōto scatter (about) or dispersedissipōto scatter, disperse, spread abroad; to dissipate or squander; to demolish, overthrow, destroy, ruindisturbōto disturb; to demolish, destroydiscutiōto strike asunder, dash to pieces, shatter; to scatter or disperse, dissipate (especially an enemy); to examine, discussfugōto chase away, put to flight; to drive into exile; to dismiss, to avertdiscurrōto run about, in different directions, or to and fro; to roam, wanderdiffugiōto scatter, disperse or dispel; to flee or run awaydīlāborto melt away, dissolve; to fall apart, disintegrate, break up; to decay, collapse, perishdiffluōto flow or run or shed away or in different directions; to dissolve, melt away, disappear; to be dissolved in, abandoned
The English word disperse itself goes back to Latin spargō, through dispersus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
disperse
TRANS., dispellere (e.g., the cavalry; with the accessary notion of destroying): dispergere: dissipare (to dissipate, to scatter): disturbare (to divide by driving asunder): discutere (to break up by driving asunder; e.g., an assembly): disjicere (to throw asunder, or into flight; e.g., a phalanx): fugare (to put to flight; e.g., the enemy).
INTRANS., (e.g., of a multitude) discurrere: diffugere: dilabi (to walk off; to dispense gradually or imperceptibly, of a crowd): diffluere (e.g., humor, latex).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for disperse?
- The usual Latin words for “disperse” are dispellō, dispergō, dissipō; also disturbō, discutiō, fugō. 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.