What is the Latin word for prayer?

The usual Latin words for “prayer” are precātiō, supplicātiō, prex; also deus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“prayer” in Latin

precātiōprayer, praying supplicātiōthanksgiving; supplication prexprayer; request; entreaty deusgod, deity; the ancient Roman “Dī Penātēs,” personal or family gods of hearth and home, embodied as small statues or ico

The English word prayer itself goes back to Latin prex, through precāria.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

prayer

precatio (as an action): supplicatio (humble prayer): preces (the words and form of prayer). To offer or utter prayer, precationem facere; precatione uti; preces adhibere (deo or diis); preces concipere (Ov.); preces mittere (Liv., incassum mittere preces): to reject anybody’s prayers, alicujus preces repudiare: to listen to anybody’s prayers, alicujus preces audire (Cic.); alicujus precationem admittere (Liv.): to be prevailed upon by anybody’s prayers, alicujus precibus cedere (Cic.); alicujus precibus adduci, ut (Caes., Nep.): to gain anything by one’s prayers, precibus impetrare aliquid: ☞ fundere preces; admovere preces; ad preces descendere or decurrere; precibus vinci, frangi, flecti; in preces descendere or demitti; precibus aliquem aggredi; precibus alicujus parere or repugnare, belong to the poets; so also, preces concipere (Ov.); fatigare aliquem precibus. At the prayer of anyone, aliquo rogante; alicujus rogatu; ab aliquo rogatus; alicujus precibus adductus; aliquo deprecatore (at the intercession of anyone): a form of prayer verba sollemnia (the reading of a form of prayer, nuncupatio verborum sollemnium; Valerius, Max., 5, 10, 1): carmen, or sollemne precationis carmen (Vid: Liv., 5, 41: 39, 15): praefatio (especially before a sacrifice, Suet., Claud. 25, Bremi): to dictate a form of prayer, carmen praefari; verba (sollemnia) praeire; to anyone, alicui.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for prayer?: The usual Latin words for “prayer” are precātiō, supplicātiō, prex; also deus. 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.