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“thought” in Latin

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

thought
cogitatio (act of thinking; and as concrete, a thought): cogitatum (a thought): mens (understanding; then = opinion, view): sententia (an opinion, especially if well founded; then = a good or just thought): opinio (a mere opinion, supposition): suspicio (conjecture, suspicion): consideratio, meditatio, deliberatio, cogitatio (reflection, deliberation, consideration): consilium (design, plan, intention): dictum (a thought uttered; a sayiny): locus (a chief point or matter in philosophical questions; as Cic., Tusc., 1, 24, 57, quem locum multo etiam accuratius explicat in eo sermone, quem habuit eo ipso die, quo excessit e vita; so also, Cic., Lael 13, 46, etc.). A quick or sudden thought, a flash of thought, cogitatio (repentina): inventum (invention): a wise thought, callidum inventum: a wonderful thought, mirum inventum: a witty thought, facetiae: sales: facete, salse, acute dicta: the thoughts, cogitata mentis; sensa mentis or animi; quae mente concipimus; quae animo cogitamus, sentimus, versamus: the thought enters my mind, ad cogitationem deducor (I am led to the thought): subit cogitatio animum; succurrit mihi res (anything occurs to me): venit mihi in mentem (anything suddenly occurs to me, strikes me: ☞ venit mihi in opinionem is unusual; Vid: Bremi ad Nep., Milt., 7, 3): induco animum (I hit upon the idea), with an infinitive (as Cic., De Divin., 1, 13, p. in.), or with ut (Cic., Rosc., Am. 19, in.; Liv., 2, 5, 7): adducor in suspicionem (I am led to suspect. ☞ venit mihi in suspicionem is unusual; Vid: Bremi, loc. cit.). To pass from one thought to another, cogitare aliam rem ex alia re: to turn or direct all one’s thoughts to anything, cogitationes omnes or animum totum ad aliquid intendere; cogitationes omnes conferre in rem; toto animo cogitare de re; omnem suam mentem et cogitationem ad aliquid incitare; omni cogitatione ferri ad rem; totum et mente et animo in aliquid insistere. To pursue a thought, versari in cogitatione alicujus rei: not to collect or concentrate one’s thoughts, aliud or alias res agere; non attendere: to be in deep thought, deep in thought, in cogitatione defixum esse: after due thought, re diligenter perpensa or considerate; inita subductaque ratione: omnibus rebus circumspectis: the matter requires thought, res habet deliberationem; res cadit in deliberationem: to divert anybody’s thoughts to anything, in cogitationem alicujus rei aliquem avertere: to give the thought of anything to anybody, alicui cogitationem alicujus rei injicere: to suggest to anybody the thought that, aliquem ad eam cogitationem deducere, or in eam cogitationem adducere, ut, etc.: to put anything out of anybody’s thoughts, abducere alicujus animum a re: to dismiss anything from one’s thoughts, cogitationem de re abjicere; non amplius cogitare de re: dismiss these thoughts, abducas velim animum ab his cogitationibus: what are your thoughts? quas cogitationes volvis? This is my only thought, nihil cogito nisi hoc: to supply anything (a word, etc.) in thought, intelligere; intelligi velle (when the writer himself is spoken of: ☞ subintelligere is not Latin, and subaudire is not classical): to enter into anybody’s thoughts, et in sensum et in mentem alicujus intrare (Cic., De Or., 2, 25, 109); ad sensum opinionemque alicujus penetrare (Cic., Partit., 36, 123): to know anybody’s thoughts, quid alicujus cogitet scire: my thoughts (opinion) on the subject are quite different, longe mihi alia mens est: these are my thoughts on the matter, haec habui quae de ea re dicerem (I had this to say on the subject); (forensium) rerum haec nostra consilia sunt (Cic., Att., 4, 2, extr.): wrapped in thought, defixus cogitatione.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for thought?
The usual Latin words for “thought” are cōgitātiō, cōgitō, mēns; also sententia, opīniō, suspiciō. 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.