English → Latin
“loose” in Latin
solvōto loosen, untie, undo; free [up], release, acquit, exempt; to solve, explain; to dissolve, break up, separaterārusscattered; far apart; seldom; few; rare; uncommonmollissoft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible, supple; mild, tendertenersoft, delicate, tender; young, youthful; effeminate, sensitivefacilisthat may or can be done or made; easy, facile; ready, quick, easily movingdissolvōto unloose, disunite, separate, dissolve, destroy; to pay, discharge (a debt etc.); to abolish, abrogate, annullaxdeception, frauddiscingōto unfasten or remove (a belt)liquidusliquid, fluid, flowing; clear, transparent, limpid; without interruption, smooth, fluid, flowinglaxuswide, spacious, roomy; yielding; loose, slack, free
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
loose adj.
(A) (A) PROP., (a) not dense, etc. (of the soil), solutus (opposed to spissus): rarus (opposed to densus): mollis (opposed to crassus): tener (opposed to glebosus): facilis (easy to work; opposed to difficilis): (b) not tight or strained, laxus (opposed to arctus and astrictus): to make loose, laxare; remittere: too loose, male laxus (calceus, Hor.): (c) at liberty, free, solutus [Vid: FREE]: the dog is loose, canis solutus est catena (when he has been set free): canis vincula abrupit (when he has broken his chain): to let loose, solvere; liberare.
(B) (B) figuratively, (a) dissolute, dissipated, dissolutus (of person’s conduct): (b) lax, slovenly, discinctus: a loose style, orationis genus fluctuans et dissolutum (Auct. ad Herenn.).
Not costive, fusior (opposed to astrictior; Cels.): solutus (Petronius): liquidus (e.g., venter, alvus, Cels.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for loose?
- The usual Latin words for “loose” are solvō, rārus, mollis; also tener, facilis, dissolvō. 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.