English → Latin
“philosophy” in Latin
philosophiaphilosophydisciplīnateaching, instruction, education; training; learning, knowledge, discipline, science, study
The English word philosophy itself goes back to Latin philosophia.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
philosophy
philosophia (φιλοσοφία); pure Latin, by circumlocution, sapientiae studium or disciplina; divinarum humanarumque rerum tum initiorum causarumque cujusque rei cognitio: cognitio optimarum rerum atque in iis exercitatio. Theoretical philosophy, philosophia, quae artis praeceptis continetur; philosophia, quae in rerum contemplatione versatur, or philosophia contemplativa for shortness (Sen., Ep., 95, 10): practical philosophy, philosophia, quae officii et bene vivendi disciplinam continet; philosophia quae de vita et moribus rebusque bonis et malis quaerit; or simply philosophia activa (Sen., Ep., 95, 10): from context prudentia (opposed to doctrina, Cic., Quint., Frat., 1, 3, 5). To be a student of philosophy, philosophiae studio teneri; sapientiae esse studiosum: to devote one’s self to the study of philosophy, se ad philosophiam or ad philosophiae studium conferre; se ad philosophiam pertractandam dare: to devote one’s self exclusively to philosophy, in una philosophia quasi tabernaculum vitae suae collocare: to write treatises of philosophy, philosophiam scribere.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for philosophy?
- The usual Latin words for “philosophy” are philosophia, disciplīna. 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.