What is the Latin word for unworthy?

The usual Latin words for “unworthy” are indignus, immeritus, aliēnus; also indignitās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“unworthy” in Latin

indignusunworthy of, undeserving of (with ablative); unbecoming; shameful immeritusunmerited, unearned, undeserved aliēnusOf that which belongs to another person, place, or object—of another, alien, foreign; unfriendly, inimical, hostile, sus indignitāsunworthiness; vileness; indignity, humiliation

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

unworthy

indignus; of anything, aliqua re, or qui with subjunctive (not deserving, whether in a good or a bad sense; hence, generally, with the object that the person does not deserve. Livy alone makes use of the construction with “ut;” the infinitive is poetical): immeritus (undeserved, of things): alienus (at variance with; e.g., ejus dignitatis, quam mihi quisque tribuit; dignitate imperii, etc.): An unworthy person, homo nulla re bona dignus: unworthy treatment, indignitas (Vid: Herzog, Caes., B.G., 2, 14). To do something unworthy of one’s character, position, station, etc., minuere suam dignitatem.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for unworthy?: The usual Latin words for “unworthy” are indignus, immeritus, aliēnus; also indignitās. 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.