What is the Latin word for easy?

The usual Latin words for “easy” are facilis, solvō, expediō; also tranquillus, quiētus, placidus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“easy” in Latin

facilisthat may or can be done or made; easy, facile; ready, quick, easily moving solvōto loosen, untie, undo; free [up], release, acquit, exempt; to solve, explain; to dissolve, break up, separate expediōto free feet from snares; unfasten fetters; lose the shackles; to loosen restraints, unchain, set free, liberate, releas tranquillusquiet, calm, still, tranquil; placid, composed, untroubled, undisturbed quiētusat rest/nap, quiet, keeping quiet, quietude, quietness; peaceful, neutral; tranquil, calm placidusPlacid, gentle, quiet, still, calm, mild, peaceful, tranquil; Ripe, mellow; Not wild, fruitful, suitable for cultivation pacōto come to an agreement sēdōto allay, settle, still, calm, assuage or appease; to end, stop or stay indulgeōto be kind or courteous (to); to be inclined (to); give free rein (to); to give oneself up (to); to be addicted (to), in simplexsingle; simple, plain, uncompounded; pure, unmixed

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

easy

Not difficult, facilis (general term; opposed to difficilis): solutus, expeditus (free from difficulties, not entangled or intricate; opposed to impeditus). (The words are found in this connection and order.) facilis et expeditus; solutus et expedims; solutus et facilis: nullius negotii (causing no trouble; opposed to magni negotii). Very easy, perfacilis; perexpeditus: an easy passage, *locus expeditus ad explicandum: to be easy (of a passage), facilem explicatum habere (after Cic., De N.D., 3, 39, 93): an easy book, *liber facilis ad intelligendum: it is an easy matter, nihil est negotii; id facile effici potest: to whom anything is easy, solutus in re (e.g., in dicendo) expeditus, solutus atque expeditus ad aliquid faciendum.

Easy to, facilis or proclivis, with superlative in u; expeditus ad, with gerund in dum. ☞ And here observe that after facilis [and difficilis] other constructions are preferred: (α) facilis ad, with gerund in dum: easy to digest, or easy of digestion, facilis ad concoquendum: (β) with the infinitive present after facile [and difficile] est: it is easy to conquer those who offer no resistance, facile est vincere non repugnantes: (γ) by the passive voice, the adverb facile being then used; e.g., it is not easy to distinguish true love from pretended, non facile dijudicatur amor verus et fictus: (δ) by using a substantive instead of the superlative: e.g., it is easy to distinguish virtues from vices, virtutum ac vitiorum facilis est distinctio. To be easy to climb, or of ascent, facili esse ascensu: to be easy to understand, facilem habere cognitionem: to be easy to explain, faciles habere explicatus: not to be easy to explain, difficiles habere explicatus: it is easy to me to do anything, mihi proclive est aliquid facere (e.g., transnare flumen): it is easy to perceive or understand that, etc., facile est ad intelligendum; in procinctu est (it is obvious; ☞ not in proclivi or expedito est in the Golden Age).

Attended with ease (i. e., freedom from anxiety, etc.), tranquillus, quietus, placidus; pacatus, sedatus [SYN. in TRANQUIL]. To live an easy life, quieto animo vivere; tranquille vitam traducere: to be in easy circumstances, or to be easy in one’s circumstances, in rebus secundis esse; in bona conditione constitutum esse: make yourself easy, bono sis animo, or bonum habe animum.

Complying, etc., as to temper, facilis (easily persuaded, indulgent): facilis ad concedendum (ready to yield): indulgens (opposed to durus). Know that you are the most easy-tempered of mortals, te esse auricula infirma molliorem, scito (Cic., Quint., Fr., 2, 15, 4).

Simple, unforced; simplex (natural; of things and persons, also of behavior): naturalis (unaffected, natural, opposed to fucatus, of things).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for easy?: The usual Latin words for “easy” are facilis, solvō, expediō; also tranquillus, quiētus, placidus. 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.