LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“soldier” in Latin

The English word soldier itself goes back to Latin solidus, through soldarius.

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

soldier
miles (the proper word; sometimes collective for milites): armatus (an armed man, usually plur.: ☞ bellator, pugnator, proeliator, a warrior, poetical): homo or vir militaris (as when we say “a good soldier,” “a distinguished soldier,” in speaking of a veteran or general; ☞ only the poets and later prose writers employ militaris for miles). Of or belonging to a soldier, militaris: A raw or fresh soldier, miles tiro, or tiro only (Cic., Caes.); miles tirunculus (Suet.). An old or veteran soldier, veteranus: soldiers (with respect to their profession), homines or viri militares. A common soldier, miles gregarius, or miles only. The common soldiers, milites gregarii; militum or armatorum vulgus. A brave or good soldier, miles fortis, strenuus, bonus, acer (Cic.); ad pugnandum alacer or paratus; studio pugnae ardens, incensus atque incitatus (Cic.). A cowardly, bad soldier, miles ignavus, timidus (Cic.), pavidus (Sall.). Soldiers of the line, (milites) legionarii: to turn soldier, to enlist as a soldier, nomen dare, or profited, militiae (Liv.); sponte militiam sumere (Tac.). To go out as a soldier, militatum abire (Terentianus); in militiae disciplinam proficisci (Cic.; ☞ these phrases are not to be employed in the sense of “to turn soldier,” “enlist as a soldier,” “become soldiers”). To be, serve as a soldier, militare; militiae munus sustinere; stipendia merere, mereri (Cic., Liv.); militiam tolerare (Verg.), colere (Ov.). A soldier’s wife, uxor militis: a soldier’s child, puer (puella) militaris: a soldier’s life, vita militaris: A soldier’s cloak, sagum: a soldier’s dress, vestitus militaris; habitus gregalis (of the common soldier, Tac., Ann., 1, 59): soldier-like, militaris: in a soldier-like manner, militum more, modo (Cic.); militariter (Liv.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for soldier?
The usual Latin words for “soldier” are mīles, armō, homō̆; also pugnō, proelior, mīlitāris. 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.