What is the Latin word for dormant?

The usual Latin words for “dormant” are morior, dormītō, lēx; also sapientia, iaceō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“dormant” in Latin

moriorto die, be slain, fall (in battle), perish; to decay, wither dormītōto slumber; to feel sleepy, drowsy; to do nothing lēxthe legal machinery of a state, the law; a law, statute, bill; the laws regarded as a body, the constitution sapientiawisdom, discernment, memory; science, skilled practice iaceōto lie prostrate, lie down; recline; to be sick, lie ill; to linger, stop, tarry, remain

The English word dormant itself goes back to Latin dormiō, through dormiēns.

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

dormant

mortuus (used, in this sense, of laws that have become a dead letter, leges, Cic.). (The words are found in this connection and order.) mortuus et antiquus (leges, Verr., 2, 5, 18): dormitans: oscitans et dormitans (e.g., sapientia, sleepy, inactive). To be dormant, jacere (e.g., of the art of a physician when there is no disease; of justice, justitia jacet; judicia jacent, Cic.; of virtues when pleasure rules, and of money, Cic.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for dormant?: The usual Latin words for “dormant” are morior, dormītō, lēx; also sapientia, iaceō. 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.