English → Latin
“officer” in Latin
praepōnōto place or set over as chief, commander, or superintendent; to place at the head of or entrust with the charge or commaduxleader, head; commander, general, captain; prince, rulernāvisship, boat, vessel; a fleet in the plural; nave (middle or body of a church)magistrōto direct, command, govern, guide; to teach, trainmagistrātusa magistrate, official; a magisterial office, civil office, magistracy
The English word officer itself goes back to Latin opificium, through officiarius.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
officer
Civil, munere aliquo fungens; muneri alicui praefectus, praepositus; qui curam sustinet alicujus muneris (after Cic.). If = magistrate, magistratus; or by circumlocution, qui potestatem gerit in republica; qui versatur cum potestate in republica. (☞ Under the later emperors we find officiales; Ammianus)
Military, dux (Liv.), praefectus militum (Caes.); ductor ordinum (Liv.). The officers, praefecti militum (Caes.); praefecti et tribuni militares (Cic.): the superior officers, primorum ordinum centuriones: superior and inferior officers, omnium ordinum centuriones (Caes., B.G., 1, 40).
Naval, praefectus classis (admiral) or navis (captain); centurio classiarius (Tac.): naval officers, classiarii duces.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for officer?
- The usual Latin words for “officer” are praepōnō, dux, nāvis; also magistrō, magistrātus. 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.