I. ˈlat ə n also -ad.ə̇n or -atə̇n adjective
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Latinus, from Latium, ancient country of Italy having Rome as its principal city from the 5th century B.C. + Latin -inus -ine
1. : of or relating to Latium or the Latins (sense 2)
the Latin language
2.
a. : of, relating to, or composed in Latin
Latin grammar
the Latin idiom
b. : romance
the modern Latin tongues
3. : of or relating to that portion of the Christian church that employs the Latin rite in its services
4.
a. : of or relating to the peoples, nationalities, or countries whose chief or official languages are Romance
the sister Latin nations have drawn closer — Thomas Okey
specifically : latin-american
make increasing amounts of United States dollar exchange available to the Latin countries — R.J.Alexander
b. : relating to the collective psychology or temper held to be characteristic of such peoples
lively, one-legged …, very Latin in temperament — Rosemary Benét
a way that is characteristically Latin — M.S.Dworkin
in him they see a Latin disdain — W.L.Sullivan
don't think I'm being complicated and Latin — Louis Bromfield
5. : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Latin alphabet
II. noun
( -s )
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: in sense 1, from Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Latinum, from latinum, neuter of latinus, adjective; in other senses, from Middle English, user of the Latin language, from Latin Latinus, n., inhabitant of Latium, from latinus, adjective
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
2. : a member of the people of ancient Latium
3. : a member of that portion of the Christian church that employs the Latin rite in its services
4. : a member of one of the Latin peoples
though a Latin, he disliked the French — Brand Blanshard
specifically : latin american
grouping of Latins on one side and North Americans on the other — S.P.Brewer
5. : the Latin alphabet
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Usage: often capitalized
: to translate into Latin