English → Latin
“genius” in Latin
geniusthe deity or guardian spirit of a person, place, etc.; a daemon, a daimon (cf. Ancient Greek δαίμων (daímōn)); an inborndaemōna genius loci, a lar, the protective spirit or godling of a place or household; the 11th of the 12 signs of the zodiac; ingeniuminnate or natural quality, natural character; nature; disposition, temper, inclination; intelligence, natural capacitynātūrathe nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing; character, temperament, inclination, disposition; nature, the natu
The English word genius itself goes back to Latin genō, through genius.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
genius
(demon)(demon), genius (a tutelary spirit; ☞ never figuratively for the spirit; e.g., of a language, of a time, where we ought to say proprietas sermonis, ingenium saeculi, etc.): daemonium: divinum illud (deity, spirit, general term).
genius
(talents)(talents), ingenium (both of the mental talents and of the person who possesses them): maxima indoles et admirabilis (Quint., ; of the mental powers): vir magni or elati ingenii: vir ingenio praestans: magno ingenio praeditus (of the person): an extraordinary and almost superhuman genius, vir singulari et paene divino ingenio: to be no great genius, non maximi esse ingenii. A genius for anything, admirabilis ad aliquid (e.g., ad dicendum) natura. His youthful productions bear marks of great genius, puerilia alicujus opera et maximam indolem ostendunt et admirabilem (Quint., 10, 1, 90).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for genius?
- The usual Latin words for “genius” are genius, daemōn, ingenium; also nātūra. 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.