English → Latin
“failure” in Latin
dēfectiōdefection, desertion; rebellion, revolt (of a city); failing, failure, deficiency, want, disappearance, declinedēficiōto move away, leave, withdraw, break away; to be exhausted, run out, fail, run out, be wanting, fail, cease, disappear, inopshelpless, destitute, indigent, poor; deprived, lacking, needy (+ genitive or ab + ablative); mean, wretched, contemptibldēsumto be wanting/lacking (+ dative); to fall short of, fail to obtain, miss; to abandon, to desert, to neglectredigōto drive, lead, or bring back; to call in, collect, raise, receive; to reduce to a certain statevīsstrength; might; vigor; capability (physical)lacmilk; for something sweet, pleasant; milky juiceannōnayearly produce, yearly income, annual output; corn, grain; means of subsistence; price of grain, or of some other food
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
failure
With reference to insufficient supply, diminished intensity, etc., defectio (e.g., virium, Cic.): defectus (e.g., lactis; in this sense nearly confined to the elder Plin.): inopia (want; alicujus rei), or by circumlocution with deficere, deesse, etc. [Vid: To FAIL]; e.g., unless from a failure of memory, nisi memoria forte defecerit. A failure of the crops, sterilitas frugum or annonae: there was a failure of the crops, male percepti sunt fructus: the long-continued drought had occasioned a partial failure of the crops, frumentum propter siccitates angustius provenerat (Caes.): that year was remarkable for the want of rain and consequent failure of the crops, siceitate et inopia frugum insignis annus fult (Liv.).
With reference to the non-fulfilment of what was expected, etc.: (1) successus nullus (the want of success); or by circumlocution with ad irritum cadere, redigi: the attempt was a failure, male gessit rem: *res alicui parum prospere processit, successit or cessit (the two last Nep.): the attempt seems at present a failure, quod agit aliquis, parum procedit (Terentianus): (2) With reference to promises, etc.; by circumlocution with the verbs denoting “to perform a PROMISE :” upon the failure of anybody’s promises, si quis falso promiserit (†), or promissum non fecerit, effecerit, praestiterit, etc.
Of fountains, etc., by circumlocution; the failure of the springs, *siccati fontes.
Bankruptcy, Vid.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for failure?
- The usual Latin words for “failure” are dēfectiō, dēficiō, inops; also dēsum, redigō, vīs. 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.