What is the Latin word for impurity?

The usual Latin words for “impurity” are impūritās, spurcitia, impudīcitia; also libīdō, Persius, Afrānius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“impurity” in Latin

impūritāsuncleanness (in a moral sense); pollution, impurity spurcitiafilth, dirt impudīcitiaimmodesty, lewdness; pederasty; shamelessness libīdōdesire, fancy, inclination, longing, pleasure, caprice, passion, wantonness; lust, sensuality Persiusa Roman nomen gentile, gens or "family name" famously held by Afrāniusof or pertaining to the gens Afrania.

The English word impurity itself goes back to Latin pūrus, through impuritas.

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

impurity

With reference to morals, impuritas (only found in omnes impuritates, every kind of moral impurity, Cic., Phil., 2, 36: Plaut. has impuritia, Persius, 3, 3, 7): spurcitia (swinish impurity, not Cic.: Afranius, ap. Non.): obscoenitas (obscenity): impudicitia (shameless immodesty; especially of the lustful passion of a female): libidines (lust; especially of a male).

With reference to style, *inquinatus sermo or inquinata oratio: *nulla castitas or sinceritas orationis: *corrupta sermonis integritas (Krebs).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for impurity?: The usual Latin words for “impurity” are impūritās, spurcitia, impudīcitia; also libīdō, Persius, Afrānius. 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.