What is the Latin word for scholar?

The usual Latin words for “scholar” are discipulus, audiō, triō; also rudis, doceō, ērudiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“scholar” in Latin

discipulusstudent, pupil, disciple, schoolboy; cadet (student in a military school or state program)audiōto hear, listen to; to attend, pay attention to; to accept, agree with, obey triōa plow ox; the constellation of the Wagon (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor)rudisrough, raw, uncultivated; unrefined, unskilled, awkward; rude doceōto produce ērudiōto instruct, to educate; to cultivate, to refine alumnusNourished, fostered, etc.

The English word scholar itself goes back to Latin schola, through scholāris.

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

scholar

A learner, pupil, discipulus (general term): puer discens (a boy at school): aiumnus disciplinae (a youthful learner of anything): auditor (one who attends lectures): trio (a beginner, novice): rudis (raw or inexperienced in any art, etc.). My scholar, alumnus discipline meae: to be still a scholar, scholae adhuc operari (Vid: Quint., 10, 3, 13). To be anybody’s scholar, uti aliquo magistro; uti alicujus institutione; aliquem magistrum habere (to have anybody for a teacher): aliquem audire (to attend anybody’s lectures): esse or profectum esse ab aliquo (to belong to anybody’s sect). To become anybody’s scholar, tradere se alicui in disciplinam (to go to learn of anybody): aliquem sequi or persequi (to attach one’s self to anybody’s sect).

A learned man, doctus: eruditus: doctrina instructus. (The words are found in this connection and order.) doctus atque eruditus: scholars, ii qui intelligunt; docti atque prudentes. One who is no scholar, homo rudis (Vell., 1, 13, 4, Mummius tam rudis fuit, ut, etc.): homo imperitus, ignarus; in anything, alicujus rei. An elegant scholar, homo elegans; spectator elegans (Ter., Eun. 3, 5, 18). A great scholar, perdoctus: pereruditus: doctus atque imprimis eruditus: mire or doctissime eruditus, etc. To be a great scholar, multa doctrina esse. A great and enlightened scholar, doctus et intelligens existimator; homo doctus et prudens. A fine Latin scholar, *interioris Latinitatis scientissimus. The greatest Latin scholar, *Latinarum litterarum princeps.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for scholar?: The usual Latin words for “scholar” are discipulus, audiō, triō; also rudis, doceō, ērudiō. 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.