What is the Latin word for guide?

The usual Latin words for “guide” are dūcō, regō, moderor; also gubernō, administrō, dux. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“guide” in Latin

dūcōto lead, guide, conduct, lead away; to take; to draw, pull regōto rule, govern, direct; to guide, steer, control; to oversee, manage moderorto set a measure or bounds to; moderate, mitigate, allay, qualify.; to restrain; to manage, arrange, regulate, rule, gui gubernōto pilot, steer a ship; to govern, manage administrōto attend upon, assist, serve; to take charge of, direct, manage, administer, do, accomplish; govern duxleader, head; commander, general, captain; prince, ruler rēctorguide, leader; driver (of a horse, an elephant, a wagon, etc.); director, ruler, master, governor gubernātorHelmsman or pilot of a boat.; Leader or governor.rēspūblicaa republic, commonwealth; the state, nation; politics, civil affairs paedagōguspedagogue, governor

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

guide v.

ducere (general term, to give a certain direction; PROP., only): ducem esse alicui or alicujus rei (to be the guide of anybody or anything, PROP. and IMPROP.): regere: moderari: moderatorem esse alicujus rei: gubernare. (The words are found in this connection and order.) regere et moderari: regere et gubernare: gubernare et moderari (to rule or direct anything): administrare (to have the management of anything, to administer). To guide the hand (of a person learning to write), scribentis manum manu superimposita regere (Quint., 1, 1, 27): to guide the pen, *pennam regere: to guide anybody, aliquem consiliis gubernare: to guide anybody as one pleases, ex voluntate uti aliquo: to give one’s hand to anybody, to guide him, alicui manus dare: to suffer one’s self to be guided, se regi pati; also, regi posse; by anybody, alicujus consilio regi; aliquem or alicujus auctoritatem sequi; alicui parere, alicui or alicujus auctoritati: obtemperare [Vid: To OBEY]: to be guided by anything, aliquid sequi; aliqua re moveri (e.g., by what is morally good, honesto): aliquam rem ducem sequi: to be guided by circumstances, ex re consulere (i. e., to act according to the circumstances of the case, without being tied down to any particular measures).

guide s.

dux (general term for leader): rector: moderator: gubernator (especially of the stale, reipublicae): princeps alicujus rei (that is at the head of anything): qui praeest alicui rei (e.g., studiis alicui, who directs the studies of anybody; also, qui praefectus est, etc.; paedagogus [Vid: GOVERNOR]: dux viae or itineris (guide in travelling; also, viarum atque itinerum dux, as Caes., B.G., 6, 17, of Mercury). To have anybody for a guide, uti aliquo duce itineris: to offer one’s services to anybody as guide, polliceri se itineris ducem. Anything serves me for a guide, aliquid sequor; *liber, quem quasi ducem sequor (a guide in the shape of a book): to take Bredow for one’s guide in lecturing upon history, *historiam Bredovio duce discipulis tradere: to take anything for or as a guide, aliquam rem ducem sequi: in all things take prudence for a guide, omnia gubernes ac moderere prudentia tua.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for guide?: The usual Latin words for “guide” are dūcō, regō, moderor; also gubernō, administrō, dux. 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.