What is the Latin word for rank?

The usual Latin words for “rank” are graveolēns, fētidus, trifurcifer; also ōrdō, classis, locus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“rank” in Latin

graveolēnsStrong-smelling; Foul-smelling; rank.; Used as a specific epithet in taxonomic names.fētidusbad-smelling, foul, stinking; foul, disgusting trifurciferSomeone who is triply a rogue, an arrant rogue or rascal, arch-rogue, persistent thief.ōrdōa methodical series, arrangement, or order; regular line, row, or series; a class, station, condition, rank; a group or classisany one of the five divisions into which Servius Tullius divided the Roman citizenry; the armed forces; fleet locusplace (referring to a specific location); a passage of literature; opportunity; cause; occasion; grounds gradusa step, pace; a grade; a stage, degree honorhonor, esteem, dignity, reputation, office fastīgiumpeak, summit, top; extreme part, extremity of a thing; slope, declivity, descent amplitūdōA wide extent; breadth, width, amplitude, size, bulk, multiplicity, abundance.; Greatness; dignity, grandeur, prestige,

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

rank adj.

Strong-scented, graveolens, male olens; foetidus: to be rank, male olere.

Gross, coarse, Vid:

Also in composition; e.g., rank rogue, trifurcifer (comedy); caput scelerum (Plaut., Pseud., 4, 5, 3); princeps flagitiorum (Cic., Verr., 5, 1, 4): rank fool, homo stultior stultissimo (Plaut., Amph., 3, 2, 25); stultus bis terque (after Cic., Qu. Fr., 3, 8, extr.).

rank s.

Row, ordo. [Vid: ROW].

Line of soldiers, ordo: the first, second, third rank, acies prima, media, extrema: in close ranks, munito agmine (e.g., incedere, Sall., Jug., 46, 3): to quit the ranks, ordine egredi (of one or several); ordines deserere or relinquere (of several): to break through the ranks. ordines perrumpere: to break the ranks (i. e., to throw the troops into confusion), ordines turbare, conturbare: to march in rank and file, compositos et instructos procedure: to reduce to the ranks [Vid :, To DEGRADE].

Class, classis.

Grade, dignity, ordo (station): locus (by birth or distinction, often = auctoritas, dignitas, gratia; Vid: Herzog, ad Caes., B.G., 5, 44): gradus (degree, often with honoris, dignitatis): honos (post of honor): fastigium, amplitudo, summus locus (high rank). A man of rank, vir honoratus: a man of respectability and rank, vir ampius et honoratus; vir persona et dignitate clarus or praestans (after Cic.): the first rank, primae, priores (sc. partes); principatus: secondary rank, secundus locus (Nep.); sors secunda (Liv.); secundae (sc. partes, Cic.): the lowest rank, infimus locus: to be of the first rank in the state, principem esse in civitate, or principis personam in civitate tueri (Cic.): philosophers of the first rank, philosophi longe principes (Cic.): scholars of the first rank, litterati primum classium (Wyttenback); *viri docti, qui primas in litteris tenent, or qui priucipatum in doctrina et eruditione obtinent: to be of inferior rank, loco, ordine, dignitate esse inferiorem: to be of higher rank, honoris gradu esse superiorem: gradation of rank, dignitatis gradus.

rank v.

Transitively, (primas, priores, etc.) alicui deferre; (priucipatum, chief rank) deferre, dare; loco aliquo ponere, disponere (of several).

Intransitively, locum (primum, secundum, infimum) tenere, obtinere.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for rank?: The usual Latin words for “rank” are graveolēns, fētidus, trifurcifer; also ōrdō, classis, locus. 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.