Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| turba | [ˈtʊr.ba] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈtur.ba] (narrow) |
feminine |
| frequentia | [frɛˈkʷɛn.ti.a] (Classical Latin, narrow) [freˈkʷɛn.t͡si.a] (narrow) |
feminine |
| caterva | [kaˈtɛr.wa] (Classical Latin, narrow) [kaˈtɛr.va] (narrow) |
feminine |
| vulgus | [ˈwʊɫ.ɡʊs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈvul.ɡus] (narrow) |
neuter |
| agmen | [ˈaɡ.mɛn] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈaɡ.men] (narrow) |
neuter |
| multitudo | [mʊɫ.tɪˈtuː.doː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [mul.tiˈtuː.do] (narrow) |
feminine |
In Latin, several words can represent a crowd depending on whether you wish to emphasize their movement, their number or their behavior.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the specific nature of the group. turba is a neutral term for a crowd, though it often captures the idea of an unruly crowd, implying disorder or chaos. vulgus is a pejorative term used to refer to the common people or the rabble. agmen is used specifically for a crowd that is moving in a line, such as a military column or a procession. caterva implies a large, somewhat disorganized group or a troop of people or animals. multitudo emphasizes the sheer quantity or a great number of people. Finally, frequentia refers to a crowd in the sense of a high density or frequency of people in a space.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In regions like Gaul, the term turba gained more popularity to describe a crowd.
How does it change in a sentence?
turba, frequentia, caterva and multitudo are feminine nouns. vulgus and agmen are neuter nouns.
Did you know?
- The word vulgus is the ancestor of the English word 'vulgar'. It originally described the common people, but over time it came to mean things that were unrefined or crude.
- The word frequentia is the ancestor of the English word 'frequency'. In Latin, it focused on the density of a crowd in a specific space rather than how often an event happens.
- The word turba is a distant relative of the English word 'disturbance'. Both words share a root that describes a state of disorder or chaos.
Examples in context
- Argumentum pessimi turba est.The crowd is a bad example of conduct.This sentence is useful for showing how a crowd can be a bad example of conduct using turba.Tatoeba #1871263 by nimfeo, translation #12348189 by carlosalberto
- Turba ruunt.The crowd rushed.This sentence is useful for describing a crowd rushing using turba.Tatoeba #2585851 by alexmarcelo, translation #8783493 by jimkillock
- Turba iterum fremuit.The crowd roared again.This sentence is useful for showing a crowd roaring again using turba.Tatoeba #5055219 by Wezel, translation #4495382 by CK
- turba in foroCrowd in the marketplace
- Festivali, magna multitudo in foro congregavit.During the festival, a large crowd gathered in the square
- Turba indisciplinata convivium publicum perturbavit.The unruly crowd disrupted the public assembly
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Marcus and Aurelia are entering a busy marketplace.
- MarcusEcce, magna turba in foro est!Look, there is a large crowd in the forum!
- AureliaIta vero, Marce. Quid accidit?Indeed, Marcus. What happened?
- MarcusTurba hunc oratorem audit.The crowd is listening to this orator.
- AureliaEam turbam superare non possumus.We cannot get past that crowd.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crowd” translations and entries turba, frequentia, caterva, vulgus, agmen, multitudo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
