What is the Latin word for siege?

The usual Latin words for “siege” are obsessiō, obsidiō, circumsessiō; also conclūsiō, oppugnātiō, obsĭdĭōnālis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“siege” in Latin

obsessiōblockade, siege; obsession obsidiōsiege, blockade circumsessiōsurrounding, mobbing; besieging conclūsiōblockade, siege; conclusion oppugnātiōassault, attack; siege obsĭdĭōnālisbelonging to a siege oppugnātōrĭusbelonging to a siege

The English word siege itself goes back to Latin sēdēs, through *sēdicum.

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

siege

obsessio: obsidio: circumsessio: conclusio (a shutting in, blockade; obsessio also figuratively. ☞ Obsidium is not found in classical prose): oppugnatio (a storming; ☞ not to be confounded with expugnatio; i. e., a taking by storm). Of or belonging to a siege, obsidionalis; oppugnatorius: a protracted siege, longinqua obsidio; diuturna conclusio: to make preparation for a siege, administrare quae ad obsidionem or oppugnationem pertinent: to commence a siege, obsidionem or oppugnationem loco infene; oppugnationem incipere (☞ obsidia urbium capessere, Tac., Ann., 12, 15, extr., is poetical): to lay siege to, obsidere; circum sedere; obsidionem (urbi) inferre; in obsidione habere or tenere; obsidione claudere, premere; operibus cingere; operibus claudere omnique commeatu privare (all these, to shut in, blockade, περιπροσκαθῆσθαι; the first two, also, figuratively); oppugnare; oppugnationepremere; opera (urbi) admovere (to storm, πολιορκεῖν, προσβάλλειν); circumsistere (figuratively, to lay siege to anybody): to lay siege to on all sides, corona cingere, circumdare; corona (moenia) aggredi; circumvallare (to surround with a line of circumvallation a town, etc.; the latter also an enemy): to maintain a siege, in obsidione urbis perseverare: to protract a siege, obsidionem in longius trahere; haerere circa muros urbis: to raise a siege, obsidionem (oppugnationem) omittere or relinquere; obsidione (oppugnatione) desistere: ab oppugnatione discedere; oppido abscedere: to deliver or relieve from a siege, obsidione liberare or solvere; (ex) obsidione eximere: to endure or stand a siege, obsidionem tolerare, ferre, pati: to take a town by siege, urbem obsidione capere; obsidione expugnare oppidum: after a long and fruitless siege they retired from the citadel, ab arce, cum diu nequidquam oppugnata esset, recessum est: the town was taken after a siege of seven months, urbs septimo mense, quam oppugnari coepta est, capta est (Curt., 4, 4, 19): to turn a siege into a blockade, consilia ab oppugnanda urbe in obsidendam vertere.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for siege?: The usual Latin words for “siege” are obsessiō, obsidiō, circumsessiō; also conclūsiō, oppugnātiō, obsĭdĭōnālis. 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.