English → Latin
“reverse” in Latin
vicischange; alternation; interchange; time; instance; seasonvicissitūdōchange, interchange, alternation, vicissitudecommūtātiōchange, alteration, reversal; upheaval; exchangecontrāriusopposite, opposed, contrary, conflicting, witherwardmūtōto move, remove; to alter, change, modify, transform; to vary, diversifyimmūtōto change, alter, transforminvertōto turn upside-down, over or around, invert, upset; to change, pervert, turn into the opposite; to exchange, alter, tranvariōto diversify, variegate, change, transform, make different or various, alter, vary, interchange; to be diversified or varumpōto break, burst, tear, rend, rupture; break asunder, force open; to break, split, rupture, burst; to break; break off, tēvertōto turn upside down, overturn, reverse; to upset, disturb, agitate, roil; to throw down, cause to fall
The English word reverse itself goes back to Latin vertō, through reversus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
reverse s.
Change, vicis, vices: vicissitudo: commutatio. [SYN. in ALTERATION.] Reverse of fortune, fortunae vicissitudo: to suffer a reverse of fortune, alteram fortunam experiri.
Opposite, contrarium. To do the very reverse, contra facere (☞ not contrarium facere): my opinion is the very reverse, ego contra puto (Cic.); mini contra videtur (Sall., Jug., 85, 1): to maintain the reverse, in contrariam, in oppositam, ire or discedere sententiam; contra dicere: whether he is happy or the reverse, utrum felix sit an contra.
The contrary to the obverse in a coin, pars aversa.
reverse v.
To alter, change, mutare: immutare: invertere: variare. [SYN. and PHR. in ALTER]
To overthrow, rumpere: evertere: abolere. To reverse a judgement, judicum rem judicatam irritam facere (Cic., Phil., 11, 5, 11): to seek to reverse a judgement, rem judicatam labefactare conari.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for reverse?
- The usual Latin words for “reverse” are vicis, vicissitūdō, commūtātiō; also contrārius, mūtō, immūtō. 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.