LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
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“thanks” in Latin

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

thanks
gratia (in the plur., when it expresses great number or variety of thanks): grates (solemn, religious thanksgiving; ☞ not used in any other sense in good classic prose). To deserve or merit thanks, gratiam mereri: gratiam inire apud aliquem or ab aliquo: gratum facere alicui: to owe thanks to anyone, gratiam alicui debere: to give or return thanks to anyone, gratias agere or persolvere alicui (χάριν ὁμολογεῖν or χάριτας λέγειν, by word of mouth or writing, followed by quod or qui, ☞ not by pro re): gratiam alicui referre, reddere; for anything, pro re (χάριν ἀποδιδόναι, to show one’s self thankful by act and deed: ☞ rarely gratias referre; in Cic., Phil., 3, 15, 39, it is found among other plurals). Not to return thanks due, gratiam negligere: to reap thanks, gratiam capere: deserving of thanks, gratus (opposed to ingratus; ☞ Ruhnken, Ter., Eun., 3, 1, 6): qui bene meruit (of persons). You will get no thanks for it, tibi ingratum erit: to require or demand thanks, gratiam exigere ab aliquo: to receive with thanks, in gratiam accipere. grate accipere or excipere: thanks be to God! est Deo gratia! THANKSGIVING, grates, plur.; gratiarum actio (a returning of thanks): grati animi significatio (as expressed): *preces grati in Deum animi (of Christian thanksgiving). A public thanksgiving, supplicatio: gratulatio (with festivity; ☞ not festum or dies festus gratiarum actionis): to order a public thanksgiving, gratulationem decernere: superis decernere grates (Ov.): to celebrate a public thanksgiving, gratulationem facere (e.g., reipublicae bene gestae).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for thanks?
The usual Latin words for “thanks” are grātia, grātēs, reddō. 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.