Latin

1 of 2

adjective

Lat·​in ˈla-tᵊn 

1

a

: of, relating to, or composed in Latin

b

: romance

2

: of or relating to Latium or the Latins

3

: of or relating to the part of the Catholic Church that until recently used a Latin rite and forms the patriarchate of the pope

4

: of or relating to the peoples or countries using Romance languages

specifically : of or relating to the peoples or countries of Latin America

Latin

2 of 2

noun

1

: the Italic language of ancient Latium and of Rome and until modern times the dominant language of school, church, and state in western Europe see Indo-European Languages Table

2

: a member of the people of ancient Latium

3

: a Catholic of the Latin rite

4

: a member of one of the Latin peoples

specifically : a native or inhabitant of Latin America

5

: latin alphabet

Examples of Latin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For apparel companies, Asia, Africa and Latin America could be opportunity zones for further sales; in each region, apparel ranked the number one cross-border category in 2024. —Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025

Miami Herald 305-376-3446 Jay Weaver writes about federal crime at the crossroads of South Florida and Latin America. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025

Still, execution questions remain as ASIC supply is tight , vulnerable to hardware supply chain disruptions, and power-purchase agreements in Latin America can be politically fragile. —Liam Wright, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

Spain Usually 10 years of residency, but only two years for people from Latin America, the Philippines, or with Sephardic Jewish heritage. —Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Latinus, from Latium, ancient country of Italy

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Latin

• Late Latin
• Latin alphabet
• Latin-American
• Latin Americanist
• Latin cross
• Latin square
• Low Latin
• Medieval Latin
• Neo-Latin
• New Latin
• Old Latin
• Vulgar Latin

Rhymes for Latin

• batten
• craton
• fatten
• flatten
• gratin
• gratton
• lattin
• matin
• paten
• patten
• platen
• ratan

Kids Definition

Latin

1 of 2 adjective

Lat·​in ˈlat-ᵊn 

1

a

: of, relating to, or composed in Latin

Latin grammar

b

: romance

Latin languages

2

: of or relating to that part of the Catholic Church that formerly used a Latin rite

3

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the countries or peoples of Latin America

Latin

2 of 2 noun

1

: the Italic language of ancient Rome

2

: an ancient Roman

3

: a member of one of the peoples speaking Romance languages

especially : a person born or living in Latin America