English → Latin
“time” in Latin
tempusa time (a portion or period of time); time; the kairos, right time, due season, due time, proper time, appointed time, ospatiumspace, room, extent; distance between points; a square, walk, or promenadeaetāsthe period of a life: lifetime, lifespan; time of life, period or stage of life, age; an undefined, relatively long periintervallumThe open space within the vallum of a camp or between palisades or ramparts.; interval, distance; interval of time, pausaevumeternity, agelessness, timelessness (time as a single, unified, continuous and limitless entity; infinite time, time witsaeculumrace, breed; generation, lifetime; the amount of time between an occurrence and the death of the final person who was altempestāsportion, point, or space of time; time, season, period; weather (good or bad); storm, tempest, galediēsA solar or sidereal day of about 24 hours, especially (historical) Roman dates reckoned from one midnight to the next.; hōrahour; time; o'clockvicischange; alternation; interchange; time; instance; season
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
time
Measure of duration, tempus (general term): spatium (a space): aetas (an age, relative; having reference to men who live during a certain period, and are affected by the events of it): intervallum (an intervening space): aevum (chiefly poetical, for an indefinite space of time): saeculum (a whole generation; after the age of Augustus, for “an age, indefinite space of time”): tempestas (a definite space of time, period; classical, but not used by Cic. in prose): dies (an indefinite duration of time; usually feminine in this sense). In our time, nostra memoria: before my time, ante meam memoriam (Plin., Ep.): time present, past, future, tempus praesens, praeteritum, futurum: former time, tempus prius, superius: ancient time, tempus vetus, vetustum: summer time, tempus aestivum: a time of peace, of war, tempus pacatum, bellicum: the shortness of time, temporis brevitas, angustiae (Cic.); exiguitas (Caes.): length of time, temporum longinquitas: longum temporis intervallum: diuturnitas: vetustas: the course of time, cursus temporis (Cic.): a short, long time before, brevi, longo, tempore ante, brevi abhinc tempore: paullo ante: multo ante: after a long, short time, longo, brevi, tempore interjecto (Cic.); parvo intermisso temporis spatio (Caes.): at that time, eo tempore (Cic.); ea tempestate (Sall.); id temporis, per id tempus (Cic.): in the mean time, interim (during the interval): interea (during the same time; while such or such a thing was going on; usually with conjunctions, interea dura or quod). After some time, post aliquot annos (but, ☞ not post aliquid tempus): in course or progress of time, tempore procedente (Plin., Ep., Val. Max.); temporis progressu, intervallo (Cic.); temporis successu (Justinus); die (Cic., Tusc., 4, 17, 39: ☞ not cum tempore). Return immediately, I will be back again in no time, revortere ad me extemplo. Continuo hic ero (Plaut., Epid., 3, 3, 43).
Space of time in which anything may be done; season, opportunity, leisure, tempus: spatium. To have time (for anything), vacare (alicui rei): spatium (ad aliquid) habere: to have no time, otium, vacuum tempus mihi non est (☞ not tempus non habeo): non vacat: non vaco: otium non suppetit, non datum, non concessum est; also, egere tempore (Cic.): to have time enough, satis temporis mihi est: satis otii datum mihi est (after Cic.): to ask for time to finish a thing, postulare spattum ad aliquam rem conficiendara (Caes., B.C., 1, 3): to take time for anything, tempus sumere ad aliquid: anybody is a great economist of his time, magna est alicujus parsimonia temporis (Plin.): to speak against time, dicendi mora diem extrahere (Caes.): time for consideration, deliberandi or consultandi spatium: to demand time for consideration, tempus ad deliberandum or deliberandi causa sibi postulare: to take time for consideration, consultandi or deliberandi spatium sumere: time to begin a battle, tempus proelii committendi, or with an infinitive: it is time to, tempus est, with a genitive. gerund, or an infinitive; but, ☞ with this difference, that the gerund is used when tempus takes after it the genitive as its object and tempus est is = otium est, spatium est, vacat, it is the right time, or there is sufficient time for doing, etc.; but the infinitive is employed when tempus est is = tempestivum est, “it is now high time to,” when the infinitive. may be regarded as the subject, and tempus as the predicate; e.g., tempus est nunc majora conari (Liv.); sed jam tempus est ad id, quod instituimus, accedere (Cic.); nunc corpora curare tempus est (Liv.); Tib. Graccho breve tempus ingenii augendi fuit (Cic.); nec gloriandi tempus adversus unum est (Liv.). For the infinitive we sometimes find ut; e.g., tempus est ut eamus ad forum (Plaut.); tempus est, ut uxorem duces (Terentianus). Not to lose time, tempus non amittere (Cic.): the time is up, the set time is come, tempus constitutum adest: the time is past, tempus abiit, effluxit, praeteriit: at the right time, tempore: in tempore: suo tempore: ad tempus (Cic.): per tempus (Terentianus): at the wrong time, alieno, non opportuno, tempore, non opportune: intempestive: before the time, ante tempus (Cic.); ante diem (Ov.); alieno, haud opportuno, tempore (Cic.): there is no time to lose, maturato opus est (Liv.); nulla mora est (Nep.); nec ulla mora est (Terentianus); periculum in mora est: he said there was no time to lose, rem differendam esse negabat (after Cic.): from time to time, nonnumquam; interdum: there is no more time, serum est: jam integrum non est: tempus rei gerendae effluxit, praeteriit (after Cic.): to beguile the time, tempus fallere.
Stale of things during a certain period, tempus; tempora, plur.: to suit one’s self to the time, tempori servire, cedere: according to time and circumstance, pro tempore et pro re (Caes.); re et ex tempore (Cic.): hard times, tempora dura, aspera, iniqua, tristia (Cic.): the spirit of the times, saeculi, aetatis ingenium (aulae ingenium, Tac., Hist., 2, 71: ☞ not saeculi genius; temporis indoles; but we may say, with reference to human character, saeculi mores, Florens, 8, 12, 7; temporum mores, Plin., Ep., 8, 18, 3): the peculiar complexion of the times, temporum ratio et natura: not to suit these licentious times, ab hujus saeculi licentia abhorrere (Cic., Coel., 20, 48).
Part of the day, hora: what time is it? quota hora est?
Turn; repetition. By vicis, vices, plur., (nominative definite), or otherwise by circumlocution. Three times a day, tribur per diem vicibus (Pallad.): for the third time, tertia vice (ibid.): six times seven make forty-two, septem sexies multiplicata fiunt duo et quadraginta: six times seven feet make forty-two, pedes ducimus sexies septenos, fiunt dua et quadraginta; pedes sexies septeni fiunt duo et quadraginta: eight times eight make sixty-four, octo in se multiplicata fiunt quatuor et sexaginta (Vid: Col., 5, 2, 1, sqq.): many times greater, multis partibus major: for thefirst, second, third time, primum, iterum (rarely secundum), tertium, etc.: for the last time, postremum, ultimum: another time, alias, alio tempore: this time, nunc; hoc tempore: enough for this time, sed haec hactenus (in narratives, etc): many times, saepius: times out of number, sexcenties: at different times, non uno tempore: separatis temporibus: semel atque iterum: semel iterumve: iterum ac saepius (more than once): for the time being; e.g., the governor of Gaul for the time being, quicumque Galliam obtinet: one time = once, Vid:
In music, numerus, numeri (general term; measured part in parts of a whole): modi (measured duration of the notes): Regular or good time, numerorum moderatio: a beating of time (with the feet), ictus modulantium pedum: beats of time, numerum percussiones: percussionum modi: to keep time, concentum, or modum percussionum, or numerum, in cantu servare: to beat time with the hand, manu certam legem temporum servare: digitorum ictu intervalla (temporum) signare; with the feet, sonum vocis pulsu pedum modulari; with hands and feet, pedum et digitorum ictu intervalla signare: in time, in numerum (☞ not ad numerum; Vid: Lucr., 2, 631; Verg., Georg., 4, 175): numerose: modulate.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for time?
- The usual Latin words for “time” are tempus, spatium, aetās; also intervallum, aevum, saeculum. 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.