What is the Latin word for scene?

The usual Latin words for “scene” are scaena, spectāculum, harēna; also campus, theātrum, turba. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“scene” in Latin

scaenastage; scene; theatre spectāculumshow, spectacle; a place from which shows are witnessed, spectator's seat; public or civic event harēnasand; slime; mud campusOpen flat level ground: a plain, a natural field; Any flat or level surface; a specific plain or field north of Rome’s w theātrumA theatre or theater, playhouse; stage.turbaturmoil, disorder, stir, disturbance, tumult, uproar, hubbub, commotion, trouble, confusion, disarray, brawl; mob, crowd mīrāculumwonder, marvel, miracle; a wonderful, strange or marvellous thing.; wonderfulness, marvellousness.

The English word scene itself goes back to Latin scaena.

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

scene

scena (PROP. and figuratively); also figuratively, spectaculum: scene of action, arena (litterally, wrestling-place): campus (litterally, field): theatrum (theatre, place of exhibition). A noisy scene, turba: an unheard-of scene, miraculum: bloody scenes, res cruentae. The various scenes of war, varium genus bellorum.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for scene?: The usual Latin words for “scene” are scaena, spectāculum, harēna; also campus, theātrum, turba. 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.