Scientia

Scientia is a Latin noun meaning knowledge, understanding, or science. It derives from scire, to know, and is used to denote a possession of knowledge, often in a systematic or theoretical sense. In classical Latin, scientia could refer to knowledge in general, including practical know-how, but it frequently implied a coherent body of truths or a field of inquiry.

During the medieval period, scholastic writers used scientia to designate organized areas of study within the university curriculum, such as scientia naturalis for natural science or scientia rationalis for rational knowledge. The term framed knowledge as a discipline capable of justification through reason and demonstrative method, distinct from artem (art) or sapientia (wisdom).

In modern usage, scientia is the Latin term for science and is encountered in academic, religious, and philosophical contexts, often in mottoes or proper names. A widely cited Latin maxim—ipsa scientia potestas est (knowledge itself is power)—is commonly attributed to Francis Bacon, reflecting the historical association of scientia with inquiry and mastery of the natural world.

Outside Latin, the word has influenced Romance languages (for example, science in English) and appears in philosophical discussions about the nature of knowledge, its sources, and its justification. In this sense, scientia may contrast with sapientia (wisdom) or ars (art), highlighting the distinction between knowing a fact or principle and applying it in practical or moral contexts.