What is the Latin word for wander?

The usual Latin words for “wander” are errō, vagor, lābor; also pālor, circumvolō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“wander” in Latin

errōto wander, rove, stray, roam; to get lost, go astray; to err, wander from the truth, to mistake vagorto ramble, wander, stroll about, roam, rove; to waver, be unsettled lāborto slip, slide, glide; (of fluids) to flow gently; to fall, sink down; to slip, stumble pālorto wander up and down or about, straggle, stray; to be dispersed circumvolōto fly around; to run around

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

wander

PROP., errare; about anything, circum aliquid (especially by mistake, not purposely, as one who has lost his way; ☞ circumerrare is late): vagari (to go hither and thither voluntarily, to have no fixed seat, purpose, or aim): palari (to separate one’s self, to leave the company, to roam about singly; e.g., per agros: ☞ errare is involuntary; vagari and palari are both voluntary): volitare aliquo loco (to flit about any where; of birds; figuratively of persons): circumvolare or circumvolitare aliquid (to fly about: of birds: figuratively, of persons). To let the eyes wander, oculos circumferre.

Figuratively, aberrare aliqua re or ab aliqua re (e.g., proposito): (in a speech) errare: vagari: vagari et errare: longius evagari or labi: ad alia errare: ratione longius progredi: extra cancellos egredi.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for wander?: The usual Latin words for “wander” are errō, vagor, lābor; also pālor, circumvolō. 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.