English → Latin
“eternal” in Latin
perpetuusperpetual, everlasting, continuous, uninterrupted, constant, incessant, unbroken; ablative of time: a duration of time, sempiternuseverlasting, perpetual, eternal, continualaeternusabiding, lasting, permanent, perpetual; endless, eternal; immortalimmortālisimmortal, undying, not subject to death.nixsnow; white hair; synonym of cadmia, zinc oxide
The English word eternal itself goes back to Latin aetās, through aeternālis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
eternal
perpetuus (relatively, with reference to a definite end; that of life, for example): sempiternus (like αΐδιος, the everlasting, lasting as long as time itself) :aeternus (like αὶώνιος, the eternal, that which outlasts all time, and will be measured by ages, for tompus est pars quaedam aeternitatis. The sublime thought of that which is without beginning and end, lies only in aeternus. Döderlein): immortalis (having a beginning, but no end). (The words are found in this connection and order.) perpetuus et aeternus; perpetuus et sempiternus. Eternal snows, nives, quas ne aestas quidem solvit: eternal friendship, perpetua et aeterna amicitia: eternal hatred, odium inexpiabile (in aliquem): to give an eternal duration to anything, aeternitate rem donare.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for eternal?
- The usual Latin words for “eternal” are perpetuus, sempiternus, aeternus; also immortālis, nix. 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.