English → Latin
“idolatry” in Latin
īdōlolatrīaidolatrysimulācrumimage, likeness, statue, effigy, portrait; specter, ghost, phantom; mimicry, imitationcolōto cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden; to inhabit; to frequent, be the guardian of, cherish,
The English word idolatry itself goes back to Latin īdōlolatrīa, through īdōlatrīa.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
idolatry
idololatria (ecclesiastical): *deorum fictorum, or simulacrorum, cultus: *cultus paene divinus (IMPROP.). To practise idolatry, deos fictos et commenticios venerari, colere; simulacra divino cultu colere: to practise idolatry toward anything, aliquid pro deo venerari: one who practises idolatry, deorum fictorum, simulacrorum cultor.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for idolatry?
- The usual Latin words for “idolatry” are īdōlolatrīa, simulācrum, colō. 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.