English → Latin
“modesty” in Latin
pudorA sense of shame; shamefacedness, shyness; ignominy, disgrace; humiliation; Modesty, decency, propriety, scrupulousness,pudīcitiachastity, virtue; shamefacedness, modestyverēcundiaknowing one's place, regarded as a virtue; coyness, modesty; shyness, bashfulness; shame, awemodestiamoderation, sophrosyne; modesty
The English word modesty itself goes back to Latin modestus, through modestia.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
modesty
Bushfulness, pudor (general term, as a sense of honor, both as a preventive feeling and as a shame for having done anything disgraceful): pudicitia (natural shame, aversion to be exposed to the gaze of others, and hence, chaste sentiment, bushfulness): verecundia (dread of doing anything that will make us feel ashamed before those whom we respect). (The words are found in this connection and order.) pudor et verecundia; pudicitia et pudor; pudor pudicitiaque.
Moderation, modestia (= moderation, unassuming character; opposed to licentia). (The words are found in this connection and order.) pudor et modestia.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for modesty?
- The usual Latin words for “modesty” are pudor, pudīcitia, verēcundia; also modestia. 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.