English → Latin
“nobility” in Latin
nōbilitāscelebrity, fame, renown; nobility (noble birth); noblenessgenerōsitāsbreeding, nobility; generosityingenuitāsThe condition of being free-born or noble; noble-mindedness, ingenuousnessnōbilisnoble, high-born; distinct, able to be known, famous, celebrated; known, famous; acquainted, familiarnovitāsnewness, novelty; rareness, strangeness; newness of rank
The English word nobility itself goes back to Latin nōscō, through nobilitas.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
nobility
Noble birth, rank, etc., generosa stirps (nobility of birth); nobilitas, genus nobile (descent from ancestors who bore offices of state, whether patrician or plebeian by birth): nobilitas equestris, natalium splendor equester (of the order of knights; Vid: Gierig., Plin., Ep., 10, 3, 5): old nobility, generis antiquitas, vetus nobilitas, avita nobilitas: new nobility, nobilitas nova, novitas: one of the new nobility, homo novus or a se ortus: a man of high nobility, antiquo genere natus, veteris prosapiae et multarum imaginum (Sall., Jug., 85, 10); sanguine avito nobilis (Propertius, 2, 22, 23): to be of the nobility, nobili loco natum esse: to be of old nobility, generis antiquitate florere, multarum imaginum esse: to be of new nobility, a se ortum esse, una imagine esse nobilem: to be of high nobility, summo loco natum esse.
Nobleness of mind, animi splendor (innate): generositas; ingenuitas (by education). Virtue is true nobility, ex virtute fit nobilitas (☞ Liv., 34).
The nobles, nobilitas; (homines) nobiles. The higher nobility, nobiles majorum gentium: the lower nobility, nobiles, or patricii, minorum gentium.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for nobility?
- The usual Latin words for “nobility” are nōbilitās, generōsitās, ingenuitās; also nōbilis, novitās. 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.