List of Latin phrases (full)

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This article lists direct English translations of common Latin phrases. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of Greek phrases.

This list is a combination of the twenty page-by-page "List of Latin phrases" articles:

A[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
a bene placito from one well pleased i.e., "at will" or "at one's pleasure". This phrase, and its Italian (beneplacito) and Spanish (beneplácito) derivatives, are synonymous with the more common ad libitum (at pleasure).
a capite ad calcem from head to heel i.e., "from top to bottom", "all the way through", or "from head to toe". See also a pedibus usque ad caput.
a contrario from the opposite i.e., "on the contrary" or "au contraire". Thus, an argumentum a contrario ("argument from the contrary") is an argument or proof by contrast or direct opposite.
a Deucalione from or since Deucalion A long time ago; from Gaius Lucilius, Satires VI, 284
a falsis principiis proficisci to set forth from false principles Legal phrase. From Cicero, De Finibus IV.53.
a fortiori from the stronger i.e., "even more so" or "with even stronger reason". Often used to lead from a less certain proposition to a more evident corollary.
a maiore ad minus from the greater to the smaller From general to particular; "What holds for all X also holds for one particular X." – argument a fortiori
a minore ad maius from the smaller to the greater An inference from smaller to bigger; what is forbidden at least is forbidden at more ("If riding a bicycle with two on it is forbidden, riding it with three on it is at least similarly punished.")
a pedibus usque ad caput from feet to head i.e., "completely", "from tip to toe", "from head to toe". Equally a capite ad calcem. See also ab ovo usque ad mala.
a posse ad esse from being able to being "From possibility to actuality" or "from being possible to being actual".
a posteriori from the latter Based on observation, i. e., empirical evidence. Opposite of a priori. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known after a proof has been carried out. In philosophy, used to denote something known from experience.
a priori from the former Presupposed independent of experience; the reverse of a posteriori. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known or postulated before a proof has been carried out. In philosophy, used to denote something is supposed without empirical evidence. In everyday speech, it denotes something occurring or being known before the event.
a solis ortu usque ad occasum from sunrise to sunset
ab absurdo from the absurd Said of an argument either for a conclusion that rests on the alleged absurdity of an opponent's argument (cf. appeal to ridicule) or that another assertion is false because it is absurd. The phrase is distinct from reductio ad absurdum, which is usually a valid logical argument.
ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia The inference of a use from its abuse is not valid i.e., a right is still a right even if it is abused (e.g. practiced in a morally/ethically wrong way); cf. § abusus non tollit usum.
ab aeterno from the eternal Literally, "from the everlasting", "from eternity", or "from outside of time". Philosophically and theologically, it indicates something, e. g., the universe, that was created from outside of time. Sometimes used incorrectly to denote something, not from without time, but from a point within time, i.e. "from time immemorial", "since the beginning of time". or "from an infinitely remote time in the past")
ab antiquo from the ancient i.e., from ancient times
ab epistulis from the letters[1] Regarding or pertaining to correspondence.[1] Ab epistulis was originally the title of the secretarial office in the Roman Empire
ab extra from beyond/without Legal term denoting derivation from an external source, as opposed to a person's self or mind—the latter of which is denoted by ab intra.
ab hinc from here on Also sometimes written as "abhinc"
ab imo pectore from the deepest chest i.e., "from the bottom of my heart", "with deepest affection", or "sincerely". Attributed to Julius Caesar.
ab inconvenienti from an inconvenient thing Neo-Latin for "based on unsuitability", "from inconvenience", or "from hardship". An argumentum ab inconvenienti is one based on the difficulties involved in pursuing a line of reasoning, and is thus a form of appeal to consequences. The phrase refers to the legal principle that an argument from inconvenience has great weight.
ab incunabulis from the cradle i.e., "from the beginning" or "from infancy". Incunabula is commonly used in English to refer to the earliest stage or origin of something, and especially to copies of books that predate the spread of the printing press c. AD 1500.
ab initio from the beginning i.e., "from the outset", referring to an inquiry or investigation. Ab initio mundi means "from the beginning of the world". In literature, it refers to a story told from the beginning rather than in medias res ('from the middle'). In science, it refers to the first principles. In other contexts, it often refers to beginner or training courses. In law, it refers to a thing being true from its beginning or from the instant of the act, rather than from when the court declared it so. Likewise, an annulment is a judicial declaration of the invalidity or nullity of a marriage ab initio: the so-called marriage was "no thing" (Latin: nullius, from which the word "nullity" derives) and never existed, except perhaps in name only.
ab intestato from an intestate i.e., from a (dead) decedent, who died without executing a legal will; cf. ex testamento
ab intra from within i.e., from the inside, as opposed to ab extra ("from without").
ab invito against one's will
ab irato from/by an angry person More literally, "from/by an angry man". Though the form irato is masculine, the application of the phrase is not limited to men. Rather, "person" is meant because the phrase probably elides homo ("man/person"), not vir ("man"). It is used in law to describe a decision or action that is motivated by hatred or anger instead of reason and is detrimental to those whom it affects.
ab origine from the source i.e., from the origin, beginning, source, or commencement; or, "originally".

Root of the word aboriginal.

ab ovo from the egg i.e., from the beginning or origin. Derived from the longer phrase in Horace's Satire 1.3: "ab ovo usque ad mala", meaning "from the egg to the apples", referring to how Ancient Roman meals would typically begin with an egg dish and end with fruit (cf. the English phrase soup to nuts). Thus, ab ovo means "from the beginning", and can connote thoroughness.
absens haeres non erit an absent person will not be an heir Legal principle that a person who is not present is unlikely to inherit.
absente reo (abs. re.) [with] the defendant being absent Legal phrase denoting action "in the absence of the accused".
absit iniuria absent from injury i.e., "no offense", meaning to wish that no insult or injury be presumed or done by the speaker's words. Also rendered as absit iniuria verbis ("let injury be absent from these words"). cf. absit invidia.
absit invidia absent from envy As opposed to "no offense", absit invidia is said in the context of a statement of excellence, to ward off envious deities who might interpret a statement of excellence as hubris. Also extended to absit invidia verbo ("may ill will/envy be absent from these words"). cf. absit iniuria verbis.[2]
absit omen absent from omen i.e., "let this not be a bad omen", expressing the hope that something ill-boding does not turn out to be bad luck in the future.
absolutum dominium absolute dominion i.e., total or supreme power, dominion, ownership, or sovereignty
absolvo I absolve Legal term pronounced by a judge in order to acquit a defendant following their trial. Te absolvo or absolvo te ("I forgive you") is said by Roman Catholic priests during the Sacrament of Confession, prior to the Second Vatican Council and in vernacular thereafter.
abundans cautela non nocet abundant caution does no harm i.e., "one can never be too careful"
ab uno disce omnes from one, learn all Refers to situations in which a single example or observation indicates a general or universal truth. Coined in Virgil, Aeneid II 65-6. Example: in the court of King Silas in the American television series Kings.
ab urbe condita (AUC) from the founding of the City i.e., "from the founding of Rome", which occurred in 753 BC, according to Livy. It was used as a referential year in ancient Rome from which subsequent years were calculated, prior to being replaced by other dating conventions. Also anno urbis conditae (AUC), literally "in the year of the founded city".
abusus non tollit usum misuse does not remove use The misuse of some thing does not eliminate the possibility of its correct use. cf. ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia
ab utili from utility Used of an argument
abyssus abyssum invocat deep calleth unto deep From Psalms 42:7; some translations have "sea calls to sea".
accipe hoc take this Motto of the 848 Naval Air Squadron, British Royal Navy
accusare nemo se debet nisi coram Deo no one ought to accuse himself except in the presence of God Legal principle denoting that an accused person is entitled to plead not guilty, and that a witness is not obligated to respond or submit a document that would incriminate himself. A similar phrase is nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare ("no one is bound to accuse himself").
acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt mortal actions never deceive the gods Derived from Ovid, Tristia, I.ii, 97: si tamen acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt, / a culpa facinus scitis abesse mea. ("Yet if mortal actions never deceive the gods, / you know that crime was absent from my fault.")
acta est fabula plaudite The play has been performed; applaud! Common ending to ancient Roman comedies: Suetonius claimed in The Twelve Caesars that these were the last words of Augustus; Sibelius applied them to the third movement of his String Quartet No. 2, so that his audience would recognize that it was the last one, because a fourth would be ordinarily expected.
acta non verba Deeds not Words Motto of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
acta sanctorum Deeds of the Saints Also used in the singular preceding a saint's name: Acta Sancti ("Deeds of Saint") N.; a common title of hagiography works
actiones secundum fidei action follows belief i.e., "we act according to what we believe (ourselves to be)."[3]
actore non probante reus absolvitur A defendant is exonerated by the failure of the prosecution to prove its case[4] presumption of innocence
actus me invito factus non est meus actus the act done by me against my will is not my act
actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea The act does not make [a person] guilty unless the mind should be guilty. Legal principle of the presumption of mens rea in a crime
actus reus guilty act The actual crime that is committed, as opposed to the intent, thinking, and rationalizing that procured the criminal act; the external elements of a crime, rather than the internal elements (i.e. mens rea).
ad absurdum to absurdity In logic, to the point of being silly or nonsensical. See also reductio ad absurdum. Not to be confused with ab absurdo ("from the absurd").
ad abundantiam to abundance Used in legal language when providing additional evidence to an already sufficient collection. Also used commonly as an equivalent of "as if this wasn't enough".
ad acta to the archives Denoting the irrelevance of a thing
ad altiora tendo I strive towards higher things
ad arbitrium at will, at pleasure
ad astra to the stars A common name or motto, in whole or part, among many publications
ad astra per aspera to the stars through difficulties i.e., "a rough road leads to the stars", as on the Launch Complex 34 memorial plaque for the astronauts of Apollo 1. Used as a motto by the State of Kansas and other organisations
ad augusta per angusta through difficulties to honours i.e., to rise to a high position overcoming hardships.
ad captandum vulgus to captivate the mob i.e., to appeal to the masses. Often said of or used by politicians. Likewise, an argumentum ad captandum is an argument designed to please the crowd.
ad clerum to the clergy Formal letter or communication in the Christian tradition from a bishop to his clergy. An ad clerum may be an encouragement in a time of celebration or a technical explanation of new regulations or canons.
ad coelum or
a caelo usque ad centrum
from the sky to the center i.e., "from Heaven all the way to the center of the Earth". In law, it may refer to the proprietary principle of cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos ("whosesoever is the soil, it is his up to the sky and down to the depths [of the Earth]").
ad eundem to the same An ad eundem degree (derived from ad eundem gradum, "to the same step or degree") is a courtesy degree awarded by a university or college to an alumnus of another. Rather than an honorary degree, it is a recognition of the formal learning for which the degree was earned at another college.
ad fontes to the sources Motto of Renaissance humanism and the Protestant Reformation
ad fundum to the bottom i.e., "bottoms up!" (during a generic toast) or "back to the basics", depending on context.
ad hoc to this i.e., "for this", in the sense of improvised or intended only for a specific, immediate purpose.
ad hominem to/at the man Provides the term argumentum ad hominem, a logical fallacy in which a person themselves is criticized, when the subject of debate is their idea or argument, on the mistaken assumption that the soundness of an argument is dependent on the qualities of the proponent.
ad honorem to/for the honour i.e., not for the purpose of gaining any material reward
ad infinitum to infinity i.e., enduring forever. Used to designate a property which repeats in all cases in mathematical proof. Also used in philosophical contexts to mean "repeating in all cases".
ad interim (ad int.) for the meantime As in the term "chargé d'affaires ad interim", denoting a diplomatic officer who acts in place of an ambassador.[5]
ad kalendas graecas at the Greek Calends i.e., "when pigs fly". Attributed by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars to Augustus. The Calends were specific days of the Roman calendar, not of the Greek, and so the "Greek Kalends" would never occur.
ad libitum (ad lib) toward pleasure i.e, "according to what pleases" or "as you wish". In music and theatrical scripts, it typically indicates that the performer has the liberty to change or omit something. Ad lib is often, specifically used when one improvises or ignores limitations. Also used by some restaurants in favor of the colloquial "all you can eat or drink". Libitum comes from the past participle of libere ("to please").
ad limina apostolorum to the thresholds of the Apostles i.e., to Rome. Refers specifically to the quinquennial visit ad limina, a formal trip by Roman Catholic bishops to visit the Pope every five years.
ad litem to the lawsuit Legal phrase referring to a party appointed by a court to act in a lawsuit on behalf of another party who is deemed incapable of representing himself or herself, such as a child. An individual who acts in this capacity is called a guardian ad litem.
ad locum (ad loc.) at the place Used to suggest looking for information about a term in the corresponding place in a cited work of reference.
ad lucem to the light frequently used motto for educational institutions
ad maiorem Dei gloriam (AMDG) For the greater glory of God motto of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
ad meliora towards better things Motto of St Patrick's College, Cavan, Ireland
ad mortem to/at death Medical phrase serving as a synonym for death
ad multos annos to many years Wish for a long life; similar to "many happy returns".
ad nauseam to sickness i.e., "to the point of disgust". Sometimes used as a humorous alternative to ad infinitum. An argumentum ad nauseam is a logical fallacy in which erroneous proof is proffered by prolonged repetition of the argument, i. e., the argument is repeated so many times that persons are "sick of it".
ad oculos to the eyes i.e., "obvious on sight" or "obvious to anyone that sees it"
ad pedem litterae to the foot of the letter i.e., "exactly as it is written", "to the letter", or "to the very last detail"
ad perpetuam memoriam to the perpetual memory Generally precedes "of" and a person's name, used to wish for someone to be remembered long after death
ad pondus omnium (ad pond om) to the weight of all things i.e., "considering everything's weight". The abbreviation was historically used by physicians and others to signify that the last prescribed ingredient is to weigh as much as all of the previously mentioned ones.
ad quod damnum to whatever damage i.e., "according to the harm" or "in proportion to the harm". The phrase is used in tort law as a measure of damages inflicted, implying that a remedy (if one exists) ought to correspond specifically and only to the damage suffered. cf. damnum absque iniuria.
ad referendum
(ad ref)
to reference i.e., subject to be proposed, provisionally approved, but still needing official approval. Not the same as a referendum.
ad rem to the matter i.e., "to the point" or "without digression"
adsumus here we are Motto of the Brazilian Marine Corps. A prayer Adsumus, Sancte Spiritus (We stand before You, Holy Spirit) is typically said at the start of every session of an Ecumenical Council or Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church.[6]
ad susceptum perficiendum in order to achieve what has been undertaken Motto of the Association of Trust Schools
ad terminum qui praeteriit for the term which has passed Legal phrase for a writ of entry[7]
ad undas to the waves i.e., "to Hell"
ad unum to one
ad usum Delphini for the use of the Dauphin Said of a work that has been expurgated of offensive or improper parts. Originates from editions of Greek and Roman classics which King Louis XIV of France had censored for his heir apparent, the Dauphin. Also rarely in usum Delphini ("into the use of the Dauphin").
ad usum proprium (ad us. propr.) for one's own use
ad utrumque paratus prepared for either [alternative] Motto of Lund University, with the implied alternatives being the book (study) and the sword (defending the nation in war), of the United States Marine Corps' III Marine Expeditionary Force and of the Spanish Submarine Force
ad valorem according to value Used in commerce to refer to ad valorem taxes, i.e., taxes based on the assessed value of real estate or personal property
ad victoriam to/for victory Used as a battle cry by the Romans.
ad vitam aeternam to eternal life i.e., "to life everlasting". A common Biblical phrase
ad vitam aut culpam for life or until fault Used in reference to the ending of a political term upon the death or downfall of the officer (demise as in their commission of a sufficiently grave immorality and/or legal crime).
addendum thing to be added i.e., an item to be added, especially as a supplement to a book. The plural is addenda.
adaequatio rei et intellectus correspondence of mind and reality One of the classic definitions of "truth:" when the mind has the same form as reality, we think truth. Also rendered as adaequatio intellectus et rei.
adaequatio intellectus nostri cum re conformity of intellect to the fact Phrase used in epistemology regarding the nature of understanding.
adsum I am here i.e., "present!" or "here!" The opposite of absum ("I am absent").
adtigo planitia Lunae I will reach the plains of the Moon Insignia motto of the American IM-1 lunar mission.
adversus solem ne loquitor do not speak against the Sun i.e., "do not argue what is obviously/manifestly incorrect."
advocatus diaboli Devil's advocate Someone who, in the face of a specific argument, voices an argument that he does not necessarily accept, for the sake of argument and discovering the truth by testing the opponent's argument. cf. arguendo.
aegri somnia a sick man's dreams i.e., "troubled dreams". From Horace, Ars Poetica VII 7.
aes alienum foreign debt i.e., "someone else's money"
aetatis suae (aetatis, aetat. or aet.) of his age or at the age of The word aetatis means "aged" or "of age" (e.g. "aetatis 36" denotes being "of age 36" or "aged 36 years old") Appears on portraits, gravestones, monuments, etc. Usually preceded by anno (AAS), "in the year # [of his age/life]". Frequently combined with Anno Domini, giving a date as both the age of Jesus Christ and the age of the decedent. Example: "Obiit anno Domini MDCXXXVIo (tricensimo sexto), [anno] aetatis suae XXVo (vicensimo quinto)" ("he died in the 1636th year of the Lord, [being] the 25th [year] of his age[/life]").
affidavit he asserted Legal term derived from fides ("faith"), originating at least from Medieval Latin to denote a statement under oath.
age quod agis do what you do i.e., "do what you are doing," or "do well whatever you do." Figuratively, it means "keep going, because you are inspired or dedicated to do so." This is the motto of several Roman Catholic schools, and was also used by Pope John XXIII in the sense of "do not be concerned with any other matter than the task in hand;" he was allaying worry of what would become of him in the future: his sense of age quod agis was "joy" regarding what is presently occurring and "detachment" from concern of the future.[8]
agere sequitur (esse) action follows being Metaphysical and moral principle that indicates the connection of ontology, obligation, and ethics.[3]
Agnus Dei Lamb of God Refers both to the innocence of a lamb and to Christ being a sacrificial lamb after the Jewish religious practice. It is the Latin translation from John 1:36, when St. John the Baptist exclaimes "Ecce Agnus Dei!" ("Behold the Lamb of God!") upon seeing Jesus Christ.
alea iacta est the die has been cast Said by Julius Caesar (Greek: ἀνερρίφθω κύβος, anerrhíphthō kýbos) upon crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC, according to Suetonius. The original meaning was similar to "the game is afoot", but its modern meaning, like that of the phrase "crossing the Rubicon", denotes passing the point of no return on a momentous decision and entering into a risky endeavor where the outcome is left to chance.
alenda lux ubi orta libertas Let light be nourished where liberty has arisen "Light" meaning learning. Motto of Davidson College.
alias at another time, otherwise An assumed name or pseudonym; similar to alter ego, but more specifically referring to a name, not to a "second self".
alibi elsewhere Legal defense where a defendant attempts to show that he was elsewhere at the time a crime was committed (e.g. "his alibi is sound; he gave evidence that he was in another city on the night of the murder.")
aliquid stat pro aliquo something stands for something else Foundational definition in semiotics.
alis aquilae on an eagle's wings From Isaiah 40: "But those who wait for the Lord shall find their strength renewed, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint."
alis grave nil nothing [is] heavy with wings i.e., "nothing is heavy to those who have wings"; motto of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
alis volat propriis she flies with her own wings Motto of the State of Oregon, adopted in 1987, replacing the previous state motto of "The Union", which was adopted in 1957.
alma mater nourishing mother Term used for the university one attends or has attended. Another university term, matriculation, is also derived from mater. The term suggests that the students are "fed" knowledge and taken care of by the university. It is also used for a university's traditional school anthem.
alter ego another I i.e., another self, a second persona or alias. Can be used to describe different facets or identities of a single character, or different characters who seem representations of the same personality. Often used of a fictional character's secret identity.
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest let no man be another's who can be his own Usually attributed to Cicero, the phrase is the final sentence in Aesop's ascribed fable "The Frogs Who Desired a King" as appears in the collection commonly known as the "Anonymus Neveleti", in Fable 21B: De ranis a Iove querentibus regem. Used as a motto by Paracelsus.
alterum non laedere to not wound another One of the three basic legal precepts in the Digest of Justinian I.
alumnus, or, alumna pupil Graduate or former student of a school, college, or university. Plural of alumnus is alumni (male). Plural of alumna is alumnae (female).
a mari usque ad mare from sea to sea From Psalm 72:8, "Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae" (KJV: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth"). National motto of Canada.
amat victoria curam victory favours care Motto of several schools
amicus certus in re incerta a sure friend in an unsure matter From Ennius, as quoted by Cicero in Laelius de Amicitia, s. 64
amicus curiae friend of the court i.e., an adviser, or a person who can obtain or grant access to the favour of a powerful group (e. g., the Roman Curia). In current U.S. legal usage, an amicus curiae is a third party who is allowed to submit a legal opinion in the form of an amicus brief to the court.
Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas. Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend. An assertion that truth is more valuable than friendship. Attributed to Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1096a15; and Roger Bacon, Opus Majus, Part 1, Chapter 5.
amicus usque ad aras a friend as far as to the altars "a friend as far as to the altars", "a friend whose only higher allegiance is to religion", "a friend to the very end".
amittere legem terrae to lose the law of the land An obsolete legal phrase signifying the forfeiture of the right of swearing in any court or cause, or to become infamous.
amor Dei intellectualis intellectual love of God From Baruch Spinoza
amor et melle et felle est fecundissimus love is rich with both honey and venom From Act One, Scene One of Plautus’ play Cistellaria.[9]
amor fati love of fate Nietzscheian alternative worldview to that represented through memento mori ("remember you must die"): Nietzsche believed amor fati was more affirmative of life.
amor omnibus idem love is the same for all From Virgil, Georgics III
amor patriae love of the fatherland i.e., "love of the nation;" patriotism
amor vincit omnia love conquers all Originally from Virgil, Eclogues X, 69: omnia vincit amor: et nos cedamus amori ("love conquers all: let us too surrender to love"). The phrase is inscribed on a bracelet worn by the Prioress in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur? Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed? Written by Axel Oxenstierna in a letter to encourage his son, a delegate to the negotiations that would lead to the Peace of Westphalia, who worried about his ability to hold his own amidst experienced and eminent statesmen and diplomats.
anglice in English Used before the anglicized version of a word or name. For example, "Terra Mariae, anglice, Maryland".
animus in consulendo liber a mind unfettered in deliberation Motto of NATO
anno (an.) in the year Also used in such phrases as anno urbis conditae (see ab urbe condita), Anno Domini, and anno regni.
anno Domini (A.D.) in the year of our Lord Abbreviation of Anno Domini Nostri Jesu Christi ("in the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ"), the predominantly-used system for dating years across the world; used with the Gregorian Calendar and based on the perceived year of the birth of Jesus Christ. The years before His birth were formerly signified by a. C. n (ante Christum natum, "before Christ was born"), but now use the English abbreviation "BC" ("before Christ"). For example, Augustus was born in the year 63 BC and died in AD 14.
anno regni In the year of the reign Precedes "of" and the current ruler
annuit cœptis he nods at things now begun i.e., "he approves our undertakings." Motto on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States and, consequently, on the reverse of the United States one-dollar bill; in this context the motto refers to God.
annus horribilis horrible year Variation on annus mirabilis, recorded in print from 1890.[10] Notably used in a speech by Queen Elizabeth II to describe what a bad year 1992 had been for her. In Classical Latin, this phrase actually means "terrifying year". See also annus terribilis.
annus mirabilis wonderful year Used particularly to refer to the years 1665 and 1666, during which Isaac Newton made revolutionary inventions and discoveries in calculus, motion, optics and gravitation. Annus Mirabilis is also the title of a poem by John Dryden written in the same year. It has since been used to refer to other years, especially to 1905, when Albert Einstein made equally revolutionary discoveries concerning the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, mass-energy equivalence, and the special theory of relativity. (See Annus Mirabilis papers)
annus terribilis dreadful year Used to describe 1348, the year the Black Death began to afflict Europe.
ante bellum before the war As in status quo ante bellum ("as it was before the war"); commonly used as antebellum to refer to the period preceding the American Civil War, primarily in reference to the Southern United States at that time.
ante cibum (a.c.) before food Medical shorthand for "before meals"
ante faciem Domini before the face of the Lord Motto of the Christian Brothers College, Adelaide
ante litteram before the letter Said of an expression or term that describes something which existed before the phrase itself was introduced or became common. Example: Alan Turing was a computer scientist ante litteram, since the field of "computer science" was not yet recognized in Turing's day.
ante meridiem (a.m.) before midday From midnight to noon; confer post meridiem
ante mortem before death See post mortem ("after death")
ante omnia armari before all else, be armed
ante prandium (a.p.) before lunch Used on pharmaceutical prescriptions to denote "before a meal". Less common is post prandium ("after lunch").
antiqui colant antiquum dierum let the ancients worship the ancient of days The motto of Chester
aperire terram gentibus open the land to nations Motto of Ferdinand de Lesseps referring to the Suez and Panama Canals. Also appears on a plaque at Kinshasa train station.
apparatus criticus tools of a critic Textual notes or a list of other readings relating to a document, especially in a scholarly edition of a text.
apologia pro vita sua defense of one's life[11]
apud in the writings of Used in scholarly works to cite a reference at second hand
aqua (aq.) water
aqua fortis strong water Refers to nitric acid, thus called because of its ability to dissolve all materials except gold and platinum
aqua pura pure water Or, "clear water" or "clean water"
aqua regia royal water Refers to a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid, thus called because of its ability to dissolve gold and platinum
aqua vitae water of life "Spirit of Wine" in many English texts. Used to refer to various native distilled beverages, such as whisky (uisge beatha) in Scotland and Ireland, gin in the Netherlands, brandy (eau de vie) in France, and akvavit in Scandinavia.
aquila non capit muscas an eagle does not catch flies Or, "a noble or important person does not deal with insignificant matters"
arare litus to plough the seashore Desiderius Erasmus, Adagia (AD 1508); meaning "wasted labor"
arbiter elegantiarum judge of tastes One who prescribes, rules on, or is a recognized authority on matters of social behavior and taste. Said of Petronius. Sometimes found in the singular as arbiter elegantiae ("judge of taste").
arcana imperii the secrets of power Originally used by Tacitus to refer to the state secrets and unaccountable acts of the Roman imperial government
arcanum boni tenoris animae The secret behind a good mood Motto of the Starobrno Brewery in Brno
arcus senilis bow of an old person An opaque circle around the cornea of the eye, often seen in elderly people. When it is found in patients less than 50 years old it is termed arcus juvenilis
arduus ad solem Striving towards the Sun Motto of Victoria University of Manchester
argentum album white silver Also "silver coin"; mentioned in the Domesday Book; signifies bullion or silver uncoined
arguendo for arguing Or, "for the sake of argument". Said when something is done purely in order to discuss a matter or illustrate a point. E. g., "let us assume, arguendo, that your claim is correct."
argumentum argument Or "reasoning", "inference", "appeal", or "proof". The plural is argumenta. Commonly used in the names of logical arguments and fallacies, preceding phrases such as a silentio (by silence), ad antiquitatem (to antiquity), ad baculum (to the stick), ad captandum (to capturing), ad consequentiam (to the consequence), ad crumenam (to the purse), ad feminam (to the woman), ad hominem (to the person), ad ignorantiam (to ignorance), ad invidiam (to envy/jealousy/odium/hatred/reproach – appealing to low passions), ad judicium (to judgment), ad lazarum (to poverty), ad logicam (to logic), ad metum (to fear), ad misericordiam (to pity), ad nauseam (to nausea), ad novitatem (to novelty), ad personam (to the character), ad numerum (to the number), ad odium (to spite), ad populum (to the people), ad temperantiam (to moderation), ad verecundiam (to reverence), ex silentio (from silence), in terrorem (into terror), and e contrario (from/to the opposite).
arma christi weapons of Christ also known as Instruments of the Passion are the objects associated with the Passion of Jesus Christ in Christian symbolism and art. They are seen as arms in the sense of heraldry, and also as the weapons Christ used to achieve his conquest over Satan.[12]
armata potentia armed and powerful charge made by a Justice of the Peace in Medieval England against those who rode in arms against the King's Peace.
ars celare artem art [is] to conceal art An aesthetic ideal that good art should appear natural rather than contrived. Of medieval origin, but often incorrectly attributed to Ovid.[13]
ars gratia artis art for the sake of art Translated into Latin from Baudelaire's L'art pour l'art. Motto of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. While symmetrical for the logo of MGM, the better word order in Latin is "Ars artis gratia".
ars longa, vita brevis art is long, life is short Seneca, De Brevitate Vitae, 1.1, translating a phrase of Hippocrates that is often used out of context. The "art" referred to in the original aphorism was the craft of medicine, which took a lifetime to acquire.
arte et labore by art and by labour Motto of Blackburn Rovers F.C.
arte et marte by skill and by fighting Motto of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers of the British Army and Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) Branch of the Canadian Forces
Artis Bohemiae Amicis Friends of Czech Arts Award of the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic for the promotion of the positive reputation of Czech culture abroad
asinus ad lyram an ass to the lyre Desiderius Erasmus, Adagia (AD 1508); meaning "an awkward or incompetent individual"
asinus asinum fricat the jackass rubs the jackass Used to describe 2 persons who are lavishing excessive praise on one another
assecuratus non quaerit lucrum sed agit ne in damno sit the assured does not seek profit but makes [it his profit] that he not be in loss Refers to the insurance principle that the indemnity can not be larger than the loss
astra inclinant, sed non obligant the stars incline us, they do not bind us Refers to the distinction of free will from astrological determinism
auctores varii various authors Used in bibliography for books, texts, publications, or articles that have more than 3 collaborators
auctoritas authority Level of prestige a person had in Roman society
auctoritas non veritas facit legem authority, not truth, makes law This formula appears in the 1668 Latin revised edition of Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, book 2, chapter 26, p. 133.
audacia pro muro et scuto opus boldness is our wall, action is our shield Cornelis Jol,[14] in a bid to rally his rebellious captains to fight and conquer the Spanish treasure fleet in 1638.
audacter calumniare, semper aliquid haeret slander boldly, something always sticks Francis Bacon, De Augmentis Scientiarum (AD 1623)
audax at fidelis bold but faithful Motto of Queensland, Australia
audeamus let us dare Motto of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment [CSOR] on their regimental coat of arms; of Otago University Students' Association, a direct response to the university's motto of sapere aude ("dare to be wise"); and of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.
audemus jura nostra defendere we dare to defend our rights Motto of the State of Alabama, adopted in 1923; translated into Latin from a paraphrase of the stanza "Men who their duties know / But know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain" from William Jones, "What Constitutes a State?"
audentes fortuna iuvat Fortune favors the bold From Virgil, Aeneid, Book 10, 284, where the first word is in an archaic form, audentis fortuna iuvat. Allegedly the last words of Pliny the Elder before he left the docks at Pompeii to rescue people from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79. Often quoted as audaces fortuna iuvat. Also the motto of the Portuguese Army Commandos and the USS Montpelier in the latter form.
audere est facere to dare is to do Motto of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
audi alteram partem hear the other side Legal principle; also worded as audiatur et altera pars ("let the other side be heard also")
audio hostem I hear the enemy Motto of the 845 NAS Royal Navy
audi, vide, tace hear, see, be silent
aurea mediocritas golden mean From Horace's Odes, 2, 10. Refers to the ethical goal of reaching a virtuous middle ground between two sinful extremes. The golden mean concept is common to many philosophers, chiefly Aristotle.
auri sacra fames accursed hunger for gold From Virgil, Aeneid, Book 3, 57. Later quoted by Seneca as quod non mortalia pectora coges, auri sacra fames ("what do not you force mortal hearts [to do], accursed hunger for gold").
auribus teneo lupum I hold a wolf by the ears Common ancient proverb, this version from Terence. It indicates that one is in a dangerous situation where both holding on and letting go could be deadly. A modern version is "to have a tiger by the tail".
aurora australis southern dawn The Southern Lights, an aurora that appears in the Southern Hemisphere. It is less well-known than the Northern Lights (aurorea borealis). The Aurora Australis is also the name of an Antarctic icebreaker ship.
aurora borealis northern dawn The Northern Lights, an aurora that appears in the Northern Hemisphere.
aurora musis amica dawn is a friend to the muses Title of a distich by Iohannes Christenius (1599–1672): "Conveniens studiis non est nox, commoda lux est; / Luce labor bonus est et bona nocte quies." ("Night is not suitable for studying, daylight is; / working by light is good, as is rest at night."); in Nihus, Barthold (1642). Epigrammata disticha. Johannes Kinckius.
aurum potestas est gold is power Motto of the fictional Fowl Family in the Artemis Fowl series, written by Eoin Colfer
auspicium melioris aevi hope/token of a better age Motto of the Order of St Michael and St George and of Raffles Institution in Singapore
Austriae est imperare orbi universo (A.E.I.O.U.) Austria is to rule the whole world Motto of the House of Habsburg, coined by Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
aut Caesar aut nihil either Caesar or nothing Denotes an absolute aspiration to become the Emperor, or the equivalent supreme magistrate, and nothing else. More generally, "all or nothing". A personal motto of Cesare Borgia. Charlie Chaplin also used the phrase in The Great Dictator to ridicule Hynkel's (Chaplin's parody of Hitler) ambition for power, but substituted "nullus" for "nihil".
aut consilio aut ense either by meeting or the sword I. e., either through reasoned discussion or through war. It was the first motto of Chile (see coat of arms), changed to Spanish: Por la razón o la fuerza. Name of episode 1 in season 3 of Berlin Station.
aut cum scuto aut in scuto either with shield or on shield Or, "do or die" or "no retreat". A Greek expression («Ἢ τὰν ἢ ἐπὶ τᾶς») that Spartan mothers said to their sons as they departed for battle. It refers to the practices that a Greek hoplite would drop his cumbersome shield in order to flee the battlefield, and a slain warrior would be borne home atop his shield.
aut imiteris aut oderis imitate or loathe it Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 7:7. From the full phrase: "necesse est aut imiteris aut oderis" ("you must either imitate or loathe the world").
aut neca aut necare either kill or be killed Also: "neca ne neceris" ("kill lest you be killed")
aut pax aut bellum either peace or war Motto of the Gunn Clan
aut simul stabunt aut simul cadent they will either stand together or fall together Said of two situations that can only occur simultaneously: if one ends, so does the other, and vice versa.[15]
aut viam inveniam aut faciam I will either find a way or make one Hannibal
aut vincere aut mori either to conquer or to die General pledge of victoria aut mors ("victory or death"). Motto of the Higgenbotham and Higginbottom families of Cheshire, England; participants in the War of the Roses. Also the motto for the United States 1st Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
ave atque vale hail and farewell Catullus, Carmen 101, addressed to his deceased brother
ave Europa nostra vera patria hail Europe, our true fatherland Anthem of Imperium Europa
Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant Hail, Emperor! Those who are about to die salute you! From Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars, Claudius 21. A salute and plea for mercy recorded on one occasion by naumachiarii–captives and criminals fated to die fighting during mock naval encounters. Later versions included a variant of "We who are about to die", and this translation is sometimes aided by changing the Latin to nos morituri te salutamus.
Ave Maria Hail, Mary Roman Catholic prayer of intercession asking St. Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ to pray for the petitioner
ave mater Angliae Hail, Mother of England Motto of Canterbury, England

B[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
barba crescit caput nescit beard grows, head doesn't grow wiser
barba non facit philosophum a beard doesn't make one a philosopher Wise only in appearance. From Aulus Gellius' Attic Nights[16]
barba tenus sapientes wise as far as the beard Wise only in appearance. From Erasmus's collection of Adages.
Beata Virgo Maria (BVM) Blessed Virgin Mary A common name in the Roman Catholic Church for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The genitive, Beatae Mariae Virginis (BMV), occurs often as well, appearing with such words as horae (hours), litaniae (litanies) and officium (office).
beatae memoriae of blessed memory See in memoriam
beati pauperes spiritu blessed in spirit [are] the poor. A Beatitude from Matthew 5:3 in the Vulgate: beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum "Blessed in spirit [are] the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens".
beati possidentes blessed [are] those who possess Translated from Euripides
beati qui ambulant lege domini blessed are they who walk in the law of the Lord Inscription above the entrance to St. Andrew's Church (New York City), based on the second half of Psalm 119:1
beati quorum via integra est blessed are they whose way is upright first half of Psalm 119:1, base of several musical setting such as Beati quorum via (Stanford)
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam blessed is the man who finds wisdom From Proverbs 3:13; set to music in a 1577 motet of the same name by Orlando di Lasso.
Bella, mulier qui hominum allicit et accipit eos per fortis war, a woman who lures men and takes them by force Latin proverb[citation needed]
bella gerant alii
Protesilaus amet!
let others wage war
Protesilaus should love!
Originally from Ovid, Heroides 13.84,[17] where Laodamia is writing to her husband Protesilaus who is at the Trojan War. She begs him to stay out of danger, but he was in fact the first Greek to die at Troy. Also used of the Habsburg marriages of 1477 and 1496, written as bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube (let others wage war; you, happy Austria, marry). Said by King Matthias.
bella detesta matribus war hateful to mothers From Horace
bello et jure senesco I grow old through war and law Motto of the House of d'Udekem d'Acoz
bellum omnium contra omnes war of all against all A phrase used by Thomas Hobbes to describe the state of nature
bellum Romanum war as the Romans did it All-out war without restraint as Romans practiced against groups they considered to be barbarians
bellum se ipsum alet war feeds itself
Biblia pauperum Paupers' Bible Tradition of biblical pictures displaying the essential facts of Christian salvation
bibo ergo sum I drink, therefore I am A play on "cogito ergo sum", "I think therefore I am"
bis dat qui cito dat he gives twice, who gives promptly A gift given without hesitation is as good as two gifts.
bis in die (bid) twice in a day Medical shorthand for "twice a day"
bona fide in good faith In other words, "well-intentioned", "fairly". In modern contexts, often has connotations of "genuinely" or "sincerely". Bona fides is not the plural (which would be bonis fidebus), but the nominative, and means simply "good faith". Opposite of mala fide.
bona notabilia note-worthy goods In law, if a person dying has goods, or good debts, in another diocese or jurisdiction within that province, besides his goods in the diocese where he dies, amounting to a certain minimum value, he is said to have bona notabilia; in which case, the probat of his will belongs to the archbishop of that province.
bona officia good services A nation's offer to mediate in disputes between two other nations
bona patria goods of a country A jury or assize of countrymen, or good neighbors
bona vacantia vacant goods United Kingdom legal term for ownerless property that passes to The Crown
boni pastoris est tondere pecus non deglubere it is a good shepherd's [job] to shear his flock, not to flay them Tiberius reportedly said this to his regional commanders, as a warning against taxing the populace excessively.
bono malum superate overcome evil with good Motto of Westonbirt School
bonum commune communitatis common good of the community Or "general welfare". Refers to what benefits a society, as opposed to bonum commune hominis, which refers to what is good for an individual. In the film Hot Fuzz, this phrase is chanted by an assembled group of people, in which context it is deliberately similar to another phrase that is repeated throughout the film, which is The Greater Good.
bonum commune hominis common good of a man Refers to an individual's happiness, which is not "common" in that it serves everyone, but in that individuals tend to be able to find happiness in similar things.
boreas domus, mare amicus the North is our home, the sea is our friend Motto of Orkney
brutum fulmen harmless (or inert) thunderbolt Used to indicate either an empty threat, or a judgement at law which has no practical effect
busillis [it] baffling puzzle, thorny problem John of Cornwall (ca. 1170) was once asked by a scribe what the word meant. It turns out that the original text said in diebus illis [in those days], which the scribe misread as in die busillis [at the day of Busillis], believing this was a famous man. This mondegreen has since entered the literature; it occurs in Alessandro Manzoni's novel The Betrothed (1827), in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov (1880), and in Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series.

C[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
cacatum non est pictum That what's shat, is not painted. From Gottfried August Bürger's Prinzessin Europa (line 60); popularised by Heinrich Heine's Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen (XI, 44); also the title of Joseph Haydn's canon for four voices, Hob. XXVIIb:16; Ludwig van Beethoven set the text by Bürger as a three-voice canon, WoO 224. Contemporary critics applied this epithet to both of Turner's Regulus (1828 and 1837).[18]
cacoethes scribendi insatiable desire to write Cacoēthes[19] "bad habit", or medically, "malignant disease" is a borrowing of Greek kakoēthes.[20] The phrase is derived from a line in the Satires of Juvenal: Tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes, or "the incurable desire (or itch) for writing affects many". See hypergraphia.
cadavera vero innumera truly countless bodies Used by the Romans to describe the aftermath of the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains.
Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius. Kill them all. For the Lord knows those who are his. Supposed statement by Abbot Arnaud Amalric before the Massacre at Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade, recorded 30 years later, according to Caesarius of Heisterbach. cf. "Kill them all and let God sort them out."
Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt Those who hurry across the sea change the sky [upon them], not their souls or state of mind Hexameter by Horace (Epistula XI).[21] Seneca shortens it to Animum debes mutare, non caelum (You must change [your] disposition, not [your] sky) in his Letter to Lucilius XXVIII, 1.
Caesar non supra grammaticos Caesar has no authority over the grammarians Political power is limited; it does not include power over grammar.[22]
caetera desunt the rest is missing Caetera is Medieval Latin spelling for cētera.
calix meus inebrians my cup making me drunk
calamus gladio fortior The pen is mightier than the sword
camera obscura dark chamber An optical device used in drawing, and an ancestor of modern photography. The source of the word camera.
Cane Nero magna bella Persica Tell, oh Nero, of the great wars of Persia Perfectly correct Latin sentence usually reported as funny from modern Italians because the same exact words, in today's dialect of Rome, mean "A black dog eats a beautiful peach", which has a ridiculously different meaning.
canes pugnaces war dogs or fighting dogs
canis canem edit dog eats dog Refers to a situation where nobody is safe from anybody, each man for himself. Original name of the video game Bully.
capax Dei capable of receiving God From Augustine, De Trinitate XIV, 8.11: Mens eo ipso imago Dei est quo eius capax est,[23] "The mind is the image of God, in that it is capable of Him and can be partaker of Him."
capax imperii nisi imperasset capable of imperial power if only he had not held it In Tacitus's Histories to describe Galba as emperor.[24]
capax infiniti holding the infinite Capability of achieving goals by force of many instead of a single individual.
caput inter nubila (condit) (she plunges) [her] head in the clouds So aggrandized as to be beyond practical (earthly) reach or understanding (from Virgil's Aeneid and the shorter form appears in John Locke's Two Treatises of Government)
caput mortuum dead head Originally an alchemical reference to the dead head or worthless residue left over from a reaction. Also used to refer to a freeloader or worthless element.
Caritas Christi The love of Christ It implies a command to love as Christ loved. Motto of St. Francis Xavier High School located in West Meadowlark Park, Edmonton.
Caritas Christi urget nos The love of Christ impels us or The love of Christ drives us The motto of the Sisters of Charity[25]
Caritas in veritate Charity in truth Pope Benedict XVI's third encyclical[26]
carpe diem seize the day An exhortation to live for today. From Horace, Odes I, 11.8. Carpere refers to plucking of flowers or fruit. The phrase collige virgo rosas has a similar sense.
carpe noctem seize the night An exhortation to make good use of the night, often used when carpe diem, q.v., would seem absurd, e.g., when observing a deep-sky object or conducting a Messier marathon or engaging in social activities after sunset.
carpe vinum seize the wine
Carthago delenda est Carthage must be destroyed The Roman senator Cato the Elder ended every speech after the Second Punic War with ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam, literally "For the rest, I am of the opinion that Carthage is to be destroyed."
castigat ridendo mores One corrects customs by laughing at them Or, "[Comedy/Satire] criticises customs through humour", is a phrase coined by French Neo-Latin poet Jean-Baptiste de Santeul (1630–1697), but sometimes wrongly attributed to his contemporary Molière or to Roman lyric poet Horace.
Casum sentit dominus accident is felt by the owner Refers to the private law principle that the owner has to assume the risk of accidental harm to him or accidental loss to his property.
casus belli event of war Refers to an incident that is the justification or case for war.
causa latet, vis est notissima The cause is hidden, but the result is well known. Ovid: Metamorphoses IV, 287; motto of Alpha Sigma Phi.
causa mortis cause of death
cave beware! especially used by Doctors of Medicine, when they want to warn each other (e.g.: "cave nephrolithiases" in order to warn about side effects of an uricosuric). Spoken aloud in some British public (paid) schools by pupils to warn each other of impending authority.
cave canem Beware of the dog Earliest written example is in the Satyricon of Petronius, circa 1st century C.E.
caveat emptor let the buyer beware The purchaser is responsible for checking whether the goods suit his need. Phrases modeled on this one replace emptor with lector, subscriptor, venditor, utilitor: "reader", "signer", "seller", "user".
caveat venditor let the seller beware It is a counter to caveat emptor and suggests that sellers can also be deceived in a market transaction. This forces the seller to take responsibility for the product and discourages sellers from selling products of unreasonable quality.
cedant arma togae let arms yield to the gown "Let military power yield to civilian power", Cicero, De Officiis I:77. Former motto of the Territory of Wyoming. See also Toga#Roman military.
cedere nescio I know not how to yield Motto of HMAS Norman
Celer – Silens – Mortalis Swift – Silent – Deadly The motto of the force reconnaissance companies of the United States Marine Corps, also known as force recon.
celerius quam asparagi cocuntur more swiftly than asparagus [stem]s are cooked Or simply "faster than cooking asparagus". A variant of the Roman phrase velocius quam asparagi coquantur, using a different adverb and an alternative mood and spelling of coquere.
cepi corpus I have taken the body In law, it is a return made by the sheriff, upon a capias, or other process to the like purpose; signifying, that he has taken the body of the party. See also habeas corpus.
certiorari to be made certain From certiorari volumus, "we wish to be made certain." A prerogative writ, by which a superior court orders an inferior one to turn over its record for review. Now used, depending on the jurisdiction, for an order granting leave to appeal a decision (e.g. to the Supreme Court of the United States) or judicial review of a lower court's order.
certum est quod certum reddi potest it is certain, whatever can be rendered certain Or "... if it can be rendered certain." Often used in law when something is not known, but can be ascertained (e.g. the purchase price on a sale which is to be determined by a third-party valuer)
cessante ratione legis cessat ipsa lex when the reason for the law ceases, the law itself ceases A rule of law becomes ineffective when the reason for its application has ceased to exist or does not correspond to the reality anymore. By Gratian.
cetera desunt the rest are missing Also spelled "caetera desunt".
ceteris paribus all other things being equal That is, disregarding or eliminating extraneous factors in a situation.
charta pardonationis se defendendo a paper of pardon to defend oneself The form of a pardon for killing another man in self-defence (see manslaughter).
charta pardonationis utlagariae a paper of pardon to the outlaw The form of a pardon of a man who is outlawed. Also called perdonatio utlagariae.
Christianos ad leones [Throw the] Christians to the lions!
Christo et Doctrinae For Christ and Learning The motto of Furman University.
Christus nos liberavit Christ has freed us title of volume I, book 5, chapter XI of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.
Christus Rex Christ the King A Christian title for Jesus.
Cicero dicit fac hoc Cicero says do it Said by some to be the origin of the game command and title Simon says.[27]
Cicero pro domo sua [it] Cicero's speech in 57 BC to regain his confiscated house Said of someone who pleads cases for their own benefit; see List of Latin phrases (P) § pro domo
circa (c.) or (ca.) around In the sense of "approximately" or "about". Usually used of a date.
circulus in probando circle made in testing [a premise] Circular reasoning. Similar term to circulus vitiosus.
circulus vitiosus vicious circle In logic, begging the question, a fallacy involving the presupposition of a proposition in one of the premises (see petitio principii). In science, a positive feedback loop. In economics, a counterpart to the virtuous circle.
citius altius fortius faster, higher, stronger Motto of the modern Olympics.
civis romanus sum I am (a) Roman citizen Is a phrase used in Cicero's In Verrem as a plea for the legal rights of a Roman citizen
clamea admittenda in itinere per atturnatum a claim to be admitted to the eyre by an attorney A writ whereby the king of England could command the justice of an eyre (a medieval form of circuit court) to permit an attorney to represent a person who is employed in the king's service and therefore cannot come in person.
clarere audere gaudere [be] bright, daring, joyful Motto of the Geal family.
clausum fregit he broke the enclosure A legal action for trespass to land; so called because the writ demands the person summoned to answer wherefore he broke the close (quare clausum fregit), i.e., why he entered the plaintiff's land.
claves Sancti Petri the keys of Saint Peter A symbol of the Papacy.
clavis aurea golden key The means of discovering hidden or mysterious meanings in texts, particularly applied in theology and alchemy.
clerico admittendo for being made a clerk In law, a writ directed to the bishop, for the admitting a clerk to a benefice upon a ne admittas, tried, and found for the party who procures the writ.
clerico capto per statutum mercatorum   In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk out of prison, who is imprisoned upon the breach of statute merchant.
clerico convicto commisso gaolae in defectu ordinarii deliberando   In law, a writ for the delivery of a clerk to his ordinary, that was formerly convicted of felony; by reason that his ordinary did not challenge him according to the privilege of clerks.
clerico intra sacros ordines constituto non eligendo in officium   In law, a writ directed to the bailiffs, etc., that have thrust a bailiwick or beadleship upon one in holy orders; charging them to release him.
Codex Iuris Canonici Book of Canon Law The official code of canon law in the Roman Catholic Church (cf. Corpus Iuris Canonici).
Cogitationis poenam nemo patitur "No one suffers punishment for mere intent." A Latin legal phrase. See, State v. Taylor, 47 Or. 455, 84 P. 82 (1906).
cogito, ergo sum I think, therefore I am. A rationalistic argument used by French philosopher René Descartes to attempt to prove his own existence.
coitus interruptus interrupted congress Aborting sexual intercourse prior to ejaculation—the only permitted form of birth control in some religions.
coitus more ferarum congress in the way of beasts A medical euphemism for the doggy-style sexual position.
collige virgo rosas pick, girl, the roses
Exhortation to enjoy fully the youth, similar to Carpe diem, from "De rosis nascentibus" (also titled "Idyllium de rosis"), attributed to Ausonius or Virgil.[28] "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may", 1909, by John William Waterhouse
combinatio nova new combination It is frequently abbreviated comb. nov.. It is used in the life sciences literature when a new name is introduced, e.g. Klebsiella granulomatis comb. nov..
comedamus et bibamus, cras enim moriemur let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die Latin translation of no. 72 of John Chrysostom's 88 Greek homilies on the Gospel of John,[29] citing Isaiah 22:13
communibus annis in common years One year with another; on an average. "Common" here does not mean "ordinary", but "common to every situation"
communibus locis in common places A term frequently used among philosophical and other writers, implying some medium, or mean relation between several places; one place with another; on a medium. "Common" here does not mean "ordinary", but "common to every situation"
communis opinio common opinion prevailing doctrine, generally accepted view (in an academic field), scientific consensus; originally communis opinio doctorum, "common opinion of the doctors"
compos mentis in control of the mind Describes someone of sound mind. Sometimes used ironically. Also a legal principle, non compos mentis (not in control of one's faculties), used to describe an insane person.
concilio et labore by wisdom and effort Motto of the city of Manchester.
concordia cum veritate in harmony with truth Motto of the University of Waterloo
concordia salus well-being through harmony Motto of Montreal. It is also the Bank of Montreal coat of arms and motto.
concordia parvae res crescunt small things grow in harmony Motto of Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
condemnant quod non intellegunt They condemn what they do not understand or
They condemn because they do not understand
The quod here is ambiguous: it may be the relative pronoun or a conjunction.
condicio sine qua non condition without which not A required, indispensable condition. Commonly mistakenly rendered with conditio ("seasoning" or "preserving") in place of condicio ("arrangement" or "condition").
conditur in petra it is founded on the rock Motto of Peterhouse Boys' School and Peterhouse Girls' School
confer (cf.) compare The abbreviation cf. is used in text to suggest a comparison with something else (cf. citation signal).
Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris C.Ss.R Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer Redemptorists
coniunctis viribus with connected strength Or "with united powers". Sometimes rendered conjunctis viribus. Motto of Queen Mary, University of London.
consensu with consent
consuetudo pro lege servatur Custom serves for law. Where there are no specific laws, the matter should be decided by custom;[30] established customs have the force of laws.[31] Also consuetudo est altera lex (custom is another law) and consuetudo vincit communem legem (custom overrules the common law); see also: Consuetudinary.
consummatum est It is completed. The last words of Jesus on the cross in the Latin translation of John 19:30.
contemptus mundi/saeculi scorn for the world/times Despising the secular world. The monk or philosopher's rejection of a mundane life and worldly values.
contra bonos mores against good morals Offensive to the conscience and to a sense of justice.
contra legem against law Especially in civil law jurisdictions, said of an understanding of a statute that directly contradicts its wording and thus is valid neither by interpretation nor by analogy.
contra proferentem against the proferror In contract law, the doctrine of contractual interpretation which provides that an ambiguous term will be construed against the party that imposed its inclusion in the contract – or, more accurately, against the interests of the party who imposed it.
contra spem spero I hope against hope Title of a poem by Lesya Ukrainka; it derives from an expression found in Paul's Letter to the Romans 4:18 (Greek: παρ' ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι, Latin: contra spem in spe[m]) with reference to Abraham the Patriarch who maintained faith in becoming the father of many nations despite being childless and well-advanced in years.
contra vim mortis non crescit herba (or salvia) in hortis No herb (or sage) grows in the gardens against the power of death there is no medicine against death; from various medieval medicinal texts
contradictio in terminis contradiction in terms Something that would embody a contradiction with the very definition of one of its terms; for example, payment for a gift, or a circle with corners. The fallacy of proposing such a thing.
contra principia negantem non est disputandum there can be no debate with those who deny the foundations Debate is fruitless when you don't agree on common rules, facts, presuppositions.
cor ad cor loquitur heart speaks to heart From Augustine's Confessions, referring to a prescribed method of prayer: having a "heart to heart" with God. Commonly used in reference to a later quote by Cardinal John Henry Newman. A motto of Newman Clubs.
cor aut mors Heart or Death (Your choice is between) The Heart (Moral Values, Duty, Loyalty) or Death (to no longer matter, no longer to be respected as person of integrity.)
cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere my heart I offer to you Lord promptly and sincerely John Calvin's personal motto, also adopted by Calvin College
cor unum one heart A popular school motto and often used as a name for religious and other organisations such as the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
coram Deo in the presence of God A phrase from Christian theology which summarizes the idea of Christians living in the presence of, under the authority of, and to the honor and glory of God; see also coram Deo.
coram episcopo in the presence of the bishop Refers to the celebration of Mass in the Roman Catholic Church where the bishop is present but does not preside over the service.[32]
coram nobis, coram vobis in our presence, in your presence Two kinds of writs of error, calling for the decision to be reviewed by the same court that made it. Coram nobis is short for quae coram nobis resident (let them, i.e. the matters on the court record, remain before us), and was the form historically used for the Court of King's Bench; the "us" means the King, who was theoretically the head of that court. Coram vobis is the analogous version ("let the matters remain before you") for the Court of Common Pleas, where the King did not sit, even notionally.
coram populo in the presence of the people Thus, openly.
coram publico in view of the public
Corpus Christi Body of Christ The name of a feast in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating the Eucharist. It is also the name of a city in Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, the name of Colleges at Oxford and Cambridge universities, and a controversial play.
corpus delicti body of the offence The fact that a crime has been committed, a necessary factor in convicting someone of having committed that crime; if there was no crime, there can not have been a criminal.
Corpus Iuris Canonici Body of Canon Law The official compilation of canon law in the Roman Catholic Church (cf. Codex Iuris Canonici).
Corpus Iuris Civilis Body of Civil Law The body of Roman or civil law.
corpus vile worthless body A person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment, as in the phrase 'Fiat experimentum in corpore vili.'
corrigenda things to be corrected
corruptio optimi pessima the corruption of the best is the worst
corruptissima re publica plurimae leges When the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous Tacitus
corvus oculum corvi non eruit a raven does not pick out an eye of another raven
corruptus in extremis corrupt to the extreme Motto of the fictional Mayor's office in The Simpsons
cras amet qui nunquam amavit; quique amavit, cras amet May he who has never loved before, love tomorrow; And may he who has loved, love tomorrow as well The refrain from the 'Pervigilium Veneris', a poem which describes a three-day holiday in the cult of Venus, located somewhere in Sicily, involving the whole town in religious festivities joined with a deep sense of nature and Venus as the "procreatrix", the life-giving force behind the natural world.
cras es noster Tomorrow, be ours As "The Future is Ours", motto of San Jacinto College, Texas
creatio ex nihilo creation out of nothing A concept about creation, often used in a theological or philosophical context. Also known as the 'First Cause' argument in philosophy of religion. Contrasted with creatio ex materia.
Credo in Unum Deum I Believe in One God The first words of the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed.
credo quia absurdum est I believe it because it is absurd A very common misquote of Tertullian's et mortuus est Dei Filius prorsus credibile quia ineptum est (and the Son of God is dead: in short, it is credible because it is unfitting), meaning that it is so absurd to say that God's son has died that it would have to be a matter of belief, rather than reason. The misquoted phrase, however, is commonly used to mock the dogmatic beliefs of the religious (see fideism). This phrase is commonly shortened to credo quia absurdum, and is also sometimes rendered credo quia impossibile est (I believe it because it is impossible) or, as Darwin used it in his autobiography, credo quia incredibile.
credo ut intelligam I believe so that I may understand A motto of St Anselm, used as the motto of St. Anselm Hall, Manchester
crescamus in Illo per omnia May we grow in Him through all things Motto of Cheverus High School.
crescat scientia vita excolatur let knowledge grow, let life be enriched Motto of the University of Chicago. Often rendered in English as "Let knowledge grow from more to more, And so be human life enriched," so as to achieve an iambic meter.
crescente luce Light ever increasing Motto of James Cook University.
crescit cum commercio civitas Civilization prospers with commerce Motto of Claremont McKenna College.
crescit eundo it grows as it goes From Lucretius' De rerum natura book VI, where it refers in context to the motion of a thunderbolt across the sky, which acquires power and momentum as it goes. This metaphor was adapted as the state motto of New Mexico (adopted in 1887 as the territory's motto, and kept in 1912 when New Mexico received statehood) and is seen on the seal. Also the motto of Rocky Mount, Virginia and Omega Delta Phi.
cruci dum spiro fido while I live, I trust in the cross, Whilst I trust in the Cross I have life Motto of the Sisters of Loreto (IBVM) and its associated schools.
cucullus non facit monachum The hood does not make the monk William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, act 1, scene 5, 53–54[33]
cui bono Good for whom? "Who benefits?" An adage in criminal investigation which suggests that considering who would benefit from an unwelcome event is likely to reveal who is responsible for that event (cf. cui prodest). Also the motto of the Crime Syndicate of America, a fictional supervillain group. The opposite is cui malo (Bad for whom?).
cui prodest for whom it advances Short for cui prodest scelus is fecit (for whom the crime advances, he has done it) in Seneca's Medea. Thus, the murderer is often the one who gains by the murder (cf. cui bono).
cuique suum to each his own
cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos Whose the land is, all the way to the sky and to the underworld is his. First coined by Accursius of Bologna in the 13th century. A Roman legal principle of property law that is no longer observed in most situations today. Less literally, "For whosoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to the sky and down to the depths."
cuius regio, eius religio whose region, his religion The privilege of a ruler to choose the religion of his subjects. A regional prince's ability to choose his people's religion was established at the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.
cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare. Anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault Cicero, Philippica XII, 5.
culpa fault Also "blame" or "guilt". In law, an act of neglect. In general, guilt, sin, or a fault. See also mea culpa.
cum gladiis et fustibus with swords and clubs From the Bible. Occurs in Matthew 26:47 and Luke 22:52.
cum gladio et sale with sword and salt Motto of a well-paid soldier. See salary.
cum grano salis with a grain of salt Not to be taken too seriously or as the literal truth.
cum hoc ergo propter hoc with this, therefore on account of this Fallacy of assuming that correlation implies causation.
cum laude with praise The standard formula for academic Latin honors in the United States. Greater honors include magna cum laude and summa cum laude.
cum mortuis in lingua mortua with the dead in a dead language Movement from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum with the exclusive right to print Copyright notice used in 16th-century England, used for comic effect in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare[34] where Lucentio is urged by his servant Biondello to "seize your privilege to declare her [Bianca] yours alone".
cuncti adsint meritaeque expectent praemia palmae let all come who by merit deserve the most reward Motto of University College London.
cupio dissolvi desire to be dissolved From the Bible, locution indicating a will to death ("I want to die").
cur Deus Homo Why the God-Man The question attributed to Anselm in his work of by this name, wherein he reflects on why the Christ of Christianity must be both fully Divine and fully Human. Often translated "why did God become Man?"
cura personalis care for the whole person Motto of Georgetown University School of Medicine and University of Scranton
cura te ipsum take care of your own self Exhortation to physicians, or experts in general, to deal with their own problems before addressing those of others
curriculum vitae course of life An overview of a person's life and qualifications, similar to a résumé
custodi civitatem, Domine guard the city, O Lord Motto of the City of Westminster
custos morum keeper of morals A censor
cygnis insignis distinguished by its swans Motto of Western Australia
cygnus inter anates swan among ducks

D[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
da Deus fortunae O God, give fortune/happiness A traditional greeting of Czech brewers.
da mihi factum, dabo tibi ius Give me the fact, I will give you the law Also da mihi facta, dabo tibi ius (plural "facta" (facts) for the singular "factum"). A legal principle of Roman law that parties to a suit should present the facts and the judge will rule on the law that governs them. Related to iura novit curia (the court knows the law).
damnant quod non intellegunt They condemn what they do not understand Paraphrase of Quintilianus, De Institutione Oratoria, Book 10, chapter 1, 26: "Modesto tamen et circumspecto iudicio de tantis viris pronuntiandum est, ne, quod plerisque accidit, damnent quae non intellegunt." [Yet students must pronounce with diffidence and circumspection on the merits of such illustrious characters, lest, as is the case with many, they condemn what they do not understand. (translated by Rev. John Selby Watson)
damnatio ad bestias condemnation to [the] beasts Colloquially, "thrown to the lions".
damnatio memoriae damnation of memory The ancient Roman custom by which it was pretended that disgraced Romans, especially former emperors, never existed, by eliminating all records and likenesses of them.
damnum absque injuria damage without injury Meaning a loss that results from no one's wrongdoing. In Roman law, a person is not responsible for unintended, consequential injury to another that results from a lawful act. This protection does not necessarily apply to unintended damage caused by one's negligence or folly.
dat deus incrementum, or, deus dat incrementum God gives growth Motto of several schools.
data venia with due respect / given the excuse Used before disagreeing with someone.
datum perficiemus munus We shall accomplish the mission assigned Motto of Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (BOPE), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
de bene esse as well done In law, a de bene esse deposition is used to preserve the testimony of a witness who is expected not to be available to appear at trial and be cross-examined.
de bonis asportatis carrying goods away In law, trespass de bonis asportatis was the traditional name for larceny, i.e., the unlawful theft of chattels (moveable goods).
de dato of the date Used, e.g., in "as we agreed in the meeting d.d. 26th May 2006".
de facto by deed Said of something that is the actual state of affairs, in contrast to something's legal or official standing, which is described as de jure. De facto refers to "the way things really are" rather than what is officially presented as the fact of the matter in question.
de fideli with faithfulness A clerk of a court makes this declaration when he is appointed, by which he promises to perform his duties faithfully as a servant of the court.
de fideli administratione of faithful administration Describes an oath taken to faithfully administer the duties of a job or office, like that taken by a court reporter.[35]
de futuro regarding the future Usually used in the context of "at a future time".
de gustibus non est disputandum Of tastes there is nothing to be disputed Less literally, "there is no accounting for taste", because they are judged subjectively and not objectively: everyone has their own and none deserve preeminence. The complete phrase is "de gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum" ("when we talk about tastes and colours there is nothing to be disputed"). Probably of Scholastic origin; see Wiktionary.
de integro again, a second time
de jure by law "Official", in contrast with de facto; analogous to "in principle", whereas de facto is to "in practice". In other contexts, it can mean "according to law", "by right", and "legally".
de lege ferenda of/from law to be passed
de lege lata of/from law passed / of/from law in force
de medietate linguae of half-tongue from [a person's] language [group]; party jury; the right to a jury disproportionally chosen from the accused's ethnic group;[36] see struck jury.
de minimis non curat lex The law does not care about the smallest things. A court does not care about small, trivial things. A case must have some importance in order for a court to hear it. See "de minimis non curat praetor".
de minimis non curat praetor The commander does not care about the smallest things. Also, "the chief magistrate does not concern himself with trifles." Trivial matters are no concern of a high official; cf. aquila non capit muscas (the eagle does not catch flies). Sometimes rex (king) or lex (law) is used in place of praetor. De minimis is a legal phrase referring to things unworthy of the law's attention.
de mortuis aut bene aut nihil about the dead, either well or nothing Less literally, "speak well of the dead or not at all"; cf. de mortuis nil nisi bonum.
de mortuis nil nisi bonum about the dead, nothing unless a good thing From de mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum est ("nothing must be said about the dead except the good"), attributed by Diogenes Laërtius to Chilon. In legal contexts, this quotation is used with the opposite meaning: defamation of a deceased person is not a crime. In other contexts, it refers to taboos against criticizing the recently deceased.
de nobis fabula narratur About us is the story told Thus: "their story is our story". Originally it referred to the end of Rome's dominance. Now often used when comparing any current situation to a past story or event.
de novo from the new "Anew" or "afresh". In law, a trial de novo is a retrial of the issues as though they had not been tried before. In biology, de novo means newly synthesized, and a de novo mutation is a mutation that neither parent possessed or transmitted. In economics, de novo refers to newly founded companies, and de novo banks are state banks that have been in operation for five years or less. (Cf. ex novo)
de omni re scibili et quibusdam aliis about every knowable thing, and even certain other things The Italian scholar Giovanni Pico della Mirandola of the 15th century wrote the De omni re scibili ("concerning every knowable thing") part, and a wag added et quibusdam aliis ("and even certain other things").
de omnibus dubitandum Be suspicious of everything / doubt everything Attributed to the French philosopher René Descartes. It was also Karl Marx's favorite motto and a title of one of Søren Kierkegaard's works, namely, De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.
de oppresso liber free from having been oppressed Loosely, "to liberate the oppressed". Motto of the United States Army Special Forces.[37]
de praescientia Dei from/through the foreknowledge of God Motto of the Worshipful Company of Barbers.
de profundis from the depths Meaning from out of the depths of misery or dejection. From the Latin translation of the Vulgate Bible of Psalm 130, of which it is a traditional title in Roman Catholic liturgy.
de re about/regarding the matter In logic, de dicto statements regarding the truth of a proposition are distinguished from de re statements regarding the properties of a thing itself.
decessit sine prole died without issue Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p., to indicate a person who died without having had any children.
decessit sine prole legitima died without legitimate issue Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p.l., to indicate a person who died without having had any children with a spouse.
decessit sine prole mascula legitima died without legitimate male issue Used in genealogical records in cases of nobility or other hereditary titles, often abbreviated as d.s.p.m.l. or d.s.p.m. legit, to indicate a person who died without having had any legitimate male children (indicating there were illegitimate male children)
decessit sine prole mascula superstite died without surviving male issue Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p.m., to indicate a person who died without having had any male children who survived, i.e. outlived him.
decessit sine prole superstite died without surviving issue Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p.s., to indicate a person who died without having had any children who survived, i.e. outlived him.
decessit vita matris died in the lifetime of the mother Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.v.m., to indicate a person who predeceased his or her mother.
decessit vita patris died in the lifetime of the father Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.v.p., to indicate a person who predeceased his or her father.
decus et tutamen an ornament and a safeguard A phrase from Virgil's Aeneid. Inscription on British one-pound coins. Originally inscribed on coins of the 17th century, it refers to the inscribed edge of the coin as a protection against the clipping of its precious metal.
defendit numerus There is safety in numbers
Defensor Fortis Defender of the Force Official motto of the United States Air Force Security Forces (Security Police).
Dei gratia By the grace of God Part of the full style of a monarch historically considered to be ruling by divine right, notably in the style of the English and British monarch since 1521
Dei gratia regina By the Grace of God, Queen Also Dei gratia rex ("By the Grace of God, King"). Abbreviated as D G REG preceding Fidei Defensor (F D) on British pound coins, and as D G Regina on Canadian coins. Also occurs on coins of the Holy Roman Empire such as the Otto Adelheid Pfennig.
Dei sub numine viget Under God's Spirit she flourishes Motto of Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States.
delectatio morosa peevish delight In Catholic theology, pleasure taken in a sinful thought or imagination, such as brooding on sexual images. As voluntary and complacent erotic fantasizing, without attempt to suppress such thoughts, it is distinct from actual sexual desire.
delegata potestas non potest delegari Delegated powers can not be [further] delegated A legal principle whereby one to whom certain powers were delegated may not ipso facto re-delegate them to another. A distinction may be had between delegated powers and the additional power to re-delegate them.
delirant isti Romani They are mad, those Romans[!] A Latin translation of René Goscinny's phrase in French ils sont fous, ces romains! or Italian Sono pazzi questi Romani. Cf. SPQR, which Obelix frequently used in the Asterix comics.
Deo ac veritati for God and for truth Motto of Colgate University.
Deo confidimus In God we trust Motto of Somerset College.
Deo domuique For God and for home Motto of Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne.
Deo et patriae For God and country Motto of Regis High School in New York City, New York, United States.
Deo gratias Thanks [be] to God A frequent phrase in the Roman Catholic liturgy, used especially after the recitation of a lesson, the Last Gospel at Mass or as a response to Ite Missa Est / Benedicamus Domino.
Deo juvante with God's help Motto of Monaco and its monarch, which is inscribed on the royal arms.
Deo non fortuna by God, not fortune/luck Motto of the Epsom College in Surrey, England and Fairham Freemasons Lodge No.8002 in the province of Nottinghamshire.
Deo optimo maximo (DOM) To the best and greatest God Derived from the pagan Iupiter optimo maximo ("to the best and greatest Jupiter"). Printed on bottles of Bénédictine liqueur.
Deo patriae litterisDeo patriae litteris For God, country, [and] learning motto of Scotch College (Melbourne)
Deo regi vicino For God, king and neighbour motto of Bromsgrove School
Deo vindice with God as protector / with an avenging God motto of the defunct Confederate States of America
Deo volente God willing This was often used in conjunction with a signature at the end of letters. It was used in order to signify that "God willing" this letter will get to you safely, "God willing" the contents of this letter come true. As an abbreviation (simply "D.V.") it is often found in personal letters (in English) of the early 1900s, employed to generally and piously qualify a given statement about a future planned action, that it will be carried out, so long as God wills it (see James 4:13–15, which encourages this way of speaking); cf. inshallah. Motto of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
descensus in cuniculi cavum The descent into the cave of the rabbit Down the rabbit hole; backtranslation, not a genuine Latin phrase; see Down the rabbit hole.
desiderantes meliorem patriam they desired a better land From Hebrews 11:16; the motto of the Order of Canada.
Deus caritas est God Is Love Title and first words of the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI. For other meanings see Deus caritas est (disambiguation).
deus ex machina a god from a machine From the Greek ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός (apò mēchanēs theós). A contrived or artificial solution, usually to a literary plot. Refers to the practice in Greek drama of lowering by crane (the mechanê) an actor playing a god or goddess onto the stage to resolve an insuperable conflict in the plot. The device is most commonly associated with Euripides.
Deus lux mea est God is my light The motto of The Catholic University of America.
Deus meumque jus God and my right The principal motto of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. See also Dieu et mon droit.
Deus nobis haec otia fecit God has given us these days of leisure Motto of the city of Liverpool, England.
Deus nobiscum God with us Motto of Methodist College Belfast
Deus nolens exitus Get results, whether God likes it or not Literally: Results, God unwilling. Can also be rendered as "Deus Nolens Exituus".
Deus otiosus God at leisure
Deus spes nostra God is our hope The motto of Sir Thomas de Boteler, founder of Boteler Grammar School in Warrington in 1526.
Deus vult God wills it The principal slogan of the Crusades. Motto of Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey, United States.
Dicebamus hesterna die... [As] we were saying yesterday... Attributed to Fray Luis de León, the beginning of his first lecture after resuming his professorship at Salamanca University following four years of imprisonment by the Inquisition
dictatum erat (dict) as previously stated A recent academic substitution for the spacious and inconvenient phrase "as previously stated". Literally, has been stated. Compare also "dicta prius"; literally, said previously.
dicto simpliciter [from] a maxim, simply I.e. "from a rule without exception." Short for a dicto simpliciter, the a is often dropped because it is confused with the English indefinite article. A dicto simpliciter occurs when an acceptable exception is ignored or eliminated. For example, the appropriateness of using opiates is contingent on suffering extreme pain. To justify the recreational use of opiates by referring to a cancer patient or to justify arresting said patient by comparing him to the recreational user would be a dicto simpliciter.
dictum factum what is said is done Motto of United States Navy Fighter Squadron VF-194.
dictum meum pactum my word [is] my bond Motto of the London Stock Exchange.
diem perdidi I have lost the day From the Roman Emperor Titus. Recorded in the biography of him by Suetonius in Lives of the Twelve Caesars.
dies irae Day of wrath Reference to the Judgment Day in Christian eschatology. The title of a famous Medieval Latin hymn by Tommaso da Celano in the 13th century and used in the Requiem Mass.
dies non juridicum Day without judiciary Days under common law (traditionally Sunday), during which no legal process can be served and any legal judgment is invalid. The English Parliament first codified this precept in the reign of King Charles II.
dies tenebrosa sicut nox a day as dark as night First entry in Annales Cambriae, for the year 447.[38]
dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet He has half the deed done, who has made a beginning.[39] From the second letter by Horace in his First Book of Letters: Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet; sapere aude, incipe. [... dare to know, begin].[40]
dirigo I direct In Classical Latin, "I arrange". Motto of the State of Maine, United States; based on a comparison of the State to the star Polaris.
dis aliter visum It seemed otherwise to the gods In other words, the gods have ideas different from those of mortals, and so events do not always occur in the way persons wish them to. Cf. Virgil, Aeneid, 2: 428. Also cf. "Man proposes and God disposes" and "My Thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways", Isaiah 55, 8–9.
dis manibus sacrum (D.M.S.) Sacred to the ghost-gods Refers to the Manes, i.e. Roman spirits of the dead. Loosely, "to the memory of". A conventional pagan inscription preceding the name of the deceased on their tombstone; often shortened to dis manibus (D.M.), "for the ghost-gods". Preceded in some earlier monuments by hic situs est (H. S. E.), "he lies here".
disce aut discede learn or depart / learn or leave Motto of Royal College, Colombo and of King's School, Rochester.
disce ut semper victurus, vive ut cras moriturus Learn as if [you will] live forever; live as if [you will] die tomorrow. Attributed to St. Edmund of Abingdon; first seen in Isidoro de Sevilla
discendo discimus while learning we learn See also § docendo discitur
discere faciendo learn by doing Motto of the three California Polytechnic State Universities of San Luis Obispo, Pomona, and Humboldt, United States.
disiecta membra scattered limbs I.e., "scattered remains". Paraphrased from Horace, Satires, 1, 4, 62, where it is written "disiecti membra poetae" (limbs of a scattered poet).
ditat Deus God enriches Motto of the State of Arizona, United States, adopted in 1911. Probably derived from the translation of the Vulgate Bible of Genesis 14: 23.
divide et impera divide and rule / "divide and conquer" A Roman maxim adopted by Roman Dictator Julius Caesar, King Louis XI of France and the Italian political author Niccolò Machiavelli.
dixi I have spoken A popular, eloquent expression, usually used in the end of a speech. The implied meaning is that the speaker has said all that had to be said and thus the argument is completed.
["...", ...] dixit ["...", ...] said Used to attribute a statement or opinion to its author, rather than the speaker.
do ut des I give that you may give Often said or written of sacrifices, in which one "gives" and expects a return from the gods.
docendo discitur It is learned by teaching / one learns by teaching Attributed to Seneca the Younger.
docendo disco, scribendo cogito I learn by teaching, I think by writing
dolus specialis special intent "The ... concept is particular to a few civil law systems and cannot sweepingly be equated with the notions of 'special' or 'specific intent' in common law systems. Of course, the same might equally be said of the concept of 'specific intent', a notion used in the common law almost exclusively within the context of the defense of voluntary intoxication." (Genocide scholar William A. Schabas)[41]
Domine dirige nos O Lord, guide us Motto of the City of London, England.
Domine salvum fac regem O Lord, save the king Psalm 20, 10.
Domine salvam fac reginam O Lord, save the queen After Psalm 20, 10.
Dominica in albis [depositis] Sunday in [Setting Aside the] White Garments Latin name of the Octave of Easter in the Roman Catholic liturgy.
Dominus fortitudo nostra The Lord is our strength Motto of the Southland College, Philippines. Psalm 28, 8.
Dominus illuminatio mea The Lord is my light Motto of the University of Oxford, England. Psalm 27, 1.
Dominus pastor The Lord is [our] shepherd Motto of St. John's College and Prep School, Harare, Zimbabwe. After Psalm 23, 1.
Dominus vobiscum The Lord be with you. A phrase used in the Roman Catholic liturgy, and sometimes in its sermons and homilies, and a general form of greeting among and towards members of Catholic organizations. See also Pax vobiscum.
dona nobis pacem give us peace Often set to music, either by itself or as the final phrase of the Agnus Dei prayer of the Holy Mass.
donatio mortis causa a donation in expectation of death A legal concept in which a person in imminent mortal danger need not satisfy the otherwise requisite consideration to effect a testamentary donation, i.e., a donation by instituting or modifying a will.
draco dormiens nunquam titillandus a sleeping dragon is never to be tickled Motto of the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry of the Harry Potter series; translated more loosely in the books as "never tickle a sleeping dragon".
dramatis personae the parts/characters of the play More literally, "the masks of the drama"; the cast of characters of a dramatic work.
duae tabulae rasae in quibus nihil scriptum est two blank slates with nothing written upon them Stan Laurel, inscription for the fan club logo of The Sons of the Desert.
ducimus we lead Motto of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps.
ducit amor patriae love of country leads me Motto of the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment, Australia.
ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt the fates lead the willing and drag the unwilling Attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Sen. Ep. 107.11).
ductus exemplo leadership by example Motto of the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School, at the base in Quantico, Virginia, United States.
dulce bellum inexpertis war is sweet to the inexperienced Meaning: "war may seem pleasant to those who have never been involved in it, though the experienced know better". Erasmus of Rotterdam.
dulce est desipere in loco It is sweet on occasion to play the fool. / It is pleasant to relax once in a while. Horace, Odes 4, 12, 28. Also used by George Knapton for the portrait of Sir Bourchier Wrey, 6th Baronet in 1744.
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland. Horace, Odes 3, 2, 13. Also used by Wilfred Owen for the title of a poem regarding World War I, Dulce et Decorum Est (calling it "the old Lie").
dulce et utile a sweet and useful thing / pleasant and profitable Horace, Ars Poetica: poetry must be dulce et utile, i.e., both enjoyable and instructive.
dulce periculum danger is sweet Horace, Odes, 3 25, 16. Motto of the Scottish clan MacAulay.
dulcius ex asperis sweeter after difficulties Motto of the Scottish clan Fergusson.[42]
dum cresco spero I hope when I grow Motto of The Ravensbourne School.
dum Roma deliberat Saguntum perit while Rome debates, Saguntum is in danger Used when someone has been asked for urgent help, but responds with no immediate action. Similar to Hannibal ante portas, but referring to a less personal danger.
dum spiro spero while I breathe, I hope Cicero. Motto of the State of South Carolina. Motto of the Clan MacLennan.
dum vita est, spes est while there is life, there is hope
dum vivimus servimus while we live, we serve Motto of Presbyterian College.
dum vivimus, vivamus while we live, let us live[43] An encouragement to embrace life."[44] Emily Dickinson used the line in a whimsical valentine written to William Howland in 1852 and subsequently published in the Springfield Daily Republican:[45]
duos habet et bene pendentes he has two, and they dangle nicely According to legend, the words spoken by the cardinal verifying that a newly-elected pope was a man, in a test employed after the reign of pope Joan.
dura lex sed lex [the] law [is] harsh, but [it is the] law A shortening of quod quidem perquam durum est, sed ita lex scripta est ("which indeed is extremely harsh, but thus was the law written"). Ulpian, quoted in the Digesta Iustiniani, Roman jurist of the 3rd century AD.[46]
dura mater tough mother The outer covering of the brain.
durante bene placito during good pleasure Meaning: "serving at the pleasure of the authority or officer who appointed". A Mediaeval legal Latin phrase.
durante munere while in office For example, the Governor General of Canada is durante munere the Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada.
dux leader
dux bellorum leader of wars description of King Arthur in Historia Brittonum (The History of the Britons); used as title for a 2012 board war game set in the age of King Arthur.

E[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
e causa ignota of unknown cause Often used in medicine when the underlying disease causing a symptom is not known. See also idiopathic.
E pluribus unum out of many, one Literally, out of more (than one), one. The former national motto of the United States, which "In God We Trust" later replaced; therefore, it is still inscribed on many U.S. coins and on the U.S. Capitol. Also the motto of S.L. Benfica. Less commonly written as ex pluribus unum
ecce Agnus Dei behold the lamb of God John the Baptist exclaims this after seeing Jesus[47]
ecce ancilla domini behold the handmaiden of the Lord From Luke 1:38 in the Vulgate Bible. Name of an oil painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and motto of Bishopslea Preparatory School.
ecce homo behold the man From the Gospel of John in the Vulgate 19:5 (Douay-Rheims), where Pontius Pilate speaks these words as he presents Christ, crowned with thorns, to the crowd. It is also the title of Nietzsche's autobiography and of the theme music by Howard Goodall for the ITV comedy Mr. Bean, in which the full sung lyric is Ecce homo qui est faba ("Behold the man who is a bean").
ecce panis angelorum behold the bread of angels From the Catholic hymn Lauda Sion; occasionally inscribed near the altar of Catholic churches; it refers to the Eucharist, the Bread of Heaven; the Body of Christ. See also: Panis angelicus.
editio princeps first edition The first published edition of a work.
ego te absolvo I absolve you Part of the formula of Catholic sacramental absolution, i. e., spoken by a priest as part of the Sacrament of Penance (see also absolvo).
ego te provoco I challenge you Used as a challenge; "I dare you". Can also be written as te provoco.
eheu fugaces labuntur anni Alas, the fleeting years slip by From Horace's Odes, 2, 14
ejusdem generis of the same kinds, class, or nature From the canons of statutory interpretation in law. When more general descriptors follow a list of many specific descriptors, the otherwise wide meaning of the general descriptors is interpreted as restricted to the same class, if any, of the preceding specific descriptors.
eluceat omnibus lux let the light shine out from all The motto of Sidwell Friends School
emeritus veteran Retired from office. Often used to denote an office held at the time of one's retirement, as an honorary title, e. g. professor emeritus and provost emeritus. Inclusion in one's title does not necessarily denote that the honorand is inactive in the pertinent office.
emollit mores nec sinit esse feros a faithful study of the liberal arts humanizes character and permits it not to be cruel From Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto (II, 9, 48). Motto of University of South Carolina.
ens causa sui existing because of oneself Or "being one's own cause". Traditionally, a being that owes its existence to no other being, hence God or a Supreme Being (see also Primum Mobile).
ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem by the sword she seeks a serene repose under liberty Motto of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, adopted in 1775.
entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity Occam's razor or Law of Parsimony; arguments which do not introduce extraneous variables are to be preferred in logical argumentation.
entitas ipsa involvit aptitudinem ad extorquendum certum assensum reality involves a power to compel certain assent A phrase used in modern Western philosophy on the nature of truth.
eo ipso by that very (act) Technical term in philosophy and law. Similar to ipso facto. Example: "The fact that I am does not eo ipso mean that I think." From the Latin ablative form of id ipsum ("that thing itself").
eo nomine by that name
equo ne credite do not trust the horse From Virgil, Aeneid, II. 48–49; a reference to the Trojan Horse.
erga omnes in relation to everyone Used in law, especially international law, to denote a kind of universal obligation.
ergo therefore Denotes a logical conclusion (see also cogito ergo sum).
errantis voluntas nulla est the will of a mistaken party is void Roman legal principle formulated by Pomponius in the Digest of the Corpus Juris Civilis, stating that legal actions undertaken by man under the influence of error are invalid.
errare humanum est to err is human Sometimes attributed to Seneca the Younger, but not attested: Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum, et tertia non datur (To err is human; to persist [in committing such errors] is of the devil, and the third possibility is not given.) Several authors contemplated the idea before Seneca: Livy, Venia dignus error is humanus (Storie, VIII, 35) and Cicero: is Cuiusvis errare: insipientis nullius nisi, in errore perseverare (Anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault) (Philippicae, XII, 2, 5). Cicero, being well-versed in ancient Greek, may well have been alluding to Euripides' play Hippolytus some four centuries earlier.[48] 300 years later Saint Augustine of Hippo recycled the idea in his Sermones, 164, 14: Humanum fuit errare, diabolicum est per animositatem in errore manere.[49] The phrase gained currency in the English language after Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism of 1711: "To err is human, to forgive divine" (line 325).
erratum error I. e., mistake. Lists of errors in a previous edition of a work are often marked with the plural errata ("errors").
eruditio et religio scholarship and duty Motto of Duke University
esse est percipi to be is to be perceived Motto of George Berkeley for his subjective idealist philosophical position that nothing exists independently of its perception by a mind except minds themselves.
esse quam videri to be, rather than to seem Truly being a thing, rather than merely seeming to be a thing. The motto of many institutions. From Cicero, De amicitia (On Friendship), Chapter 26. Prior to Cicero, Sallust used the phrase in Bellum Catilinae, 54, 6, writing that Cato esse quam videri bonus malebat ("preferred to be good, rather than to seem so"). Earlier still, Aeschylus used a similar phrase in Seven Against Thebes, line 592: ou gar dokein aristos, all' enai thelei ("he wishes not to seem the best, but to be the best"). Motto of the State of North Carolina.
est modus in rebus there is measure in things there is a middle or mean in things, there is a middle way or position; from Horace, Satires 1.1.106; see also: Golden mean (philosophy). According to Potempski and Galmarini (Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 9471–9489, 2009) the sentence should be translated as: "There is an optimal condition in all things", which in the original text is followed by sunt certi denique fines quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum ("There are therefore precise boundaries beyond which one cannot find the right thing").
esto perpetua may it be perpetual Said of Venice, Italy, by the Venetian historian Fra Paolo Sarpi shortly before his death. Motto of the U.S. state of Idaho, adopted in 1867; of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka; of Sigma Phi Society.
esto quod es be what you are Motto of Wells Cathedral School
et adhuc sub iudice lis est it is still before the court From Horace, Ars Poetica (The Art of Poetry) 1.78.
et alibi (et al.) and elsewhere A less common variant on et cetera ("and the rest") used at the end of a list of locations to denote unenumerated/omitted ones.
et alii, et aliae, et alia (et al.) and others Used similarly to et cetera ("and the rest") to denote names that, usually for the sake of space, are unenumerated/omitted. Alii is masculine, and therefore it can be used to refer to men, or groups of men and women; the feminine et aliae is proper when the "others" are all female, but as with many loanwords, interlingual use, such as in reference lists, is often invariable. Et alia is neuter plural and thus in Latin text is properly used only for inanimate, genderless objects, but some use it as a gender-neutral alternative.[50] APA style and MLA style uses et al. if the work cited was written by more than three authors; AMA style lists all authors if ≤6, and 3 + et al. if >6. AMA style forgoes the period (because it forgoes the period on abbreviations generally) and it forgoes the italic (as it does with other loanwords naturalized into scientific English); many journals that follow AMA style do likewise.
et cetera (etc., &c.) and the rest In modern usage, used to mean "and so on" or "and more".
et cum spiritu tuo and with your spirit The usual response to the phrase Dominus vobiscum used in Roman Catholic liturgy, for instance at several points during the Catholic Mass.[51] Also used as a general form of greeting among and towards members of Catholic organisations.
et facere et pati fortia Romanum est Acting and suffering bravely is the attribute of a Roman The words of Gaius Mucius Scaevola when Lars Porsena captured him
et facta est lux And light came to be or was made From Genesis, 1:3: "and there was light". Motto of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. See also Fiat lux.
et hoc genus omne and all that sort of thing Abbreviated as e.h.g.o. or ehgo
et in Arcadia ego and in Arcadia [am] I In other words, "I too am in Arcadia". See also memento mori.
et lux in tenebris lucet and light shines in the darkness From the Gospel of John 1.5, Vulgate. Motto of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. See also Lux in Tenebris, 1919 play by Bertolt Brecht.
et nunc reges intelligite erudimini qui judicatis terram "And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth." From the Book of Psalms, II.x. (Vulgate) Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, 2.10 (Douay-Rheims).
et passim (et pass.) and throughout Used in citations after a page number to indicate that there is further information in other locations in the cited resource. See also passim.
et sequentes (et seq.) and the following (masculine/feminine plural) Also et sequentia ("and the following things": neut.), abbreviations: et seqq., et seq., or sqq. Commonly used in legal citations to refer to statutes that comprise several sequential sections of a code of statutes (e. g. National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 159 et seq.; New Jersey Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:25-17 et seq.).
et suppositio nil ponit in esse and a supposition puts nothing in being More usually translated as "Sayin' it don't make it so".
Et tu, Brute? And you, Brutus? Or "Even you, Brutus?" or "You too, Brutus?" Indicates betrayal by an intimate associate. From William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, based on the traditional dying words of Julius Caesar. However, these were almost certainly not Caesar's true last words: Plutarch quotes Caesar as saying in Greek, the language of the Roman elite at the time, καὶ σὺ τέκνον (Kaì sù téknon?), translated as "You too, (my) child?", quoting from Menander.
et uxor (et ux.) and wife A legal term.
et vir and husband A legal term.
Etiam si omnes, ego non Even if all others, I will never Saint Peter to Jesus Christ, from the Vulgate, Gospel of Matthew 26:33; New King James Version: Matthew 26:33).
etsi deus non daretur even if God were not a given This sentence synthesizes a famous concept of Hugo Grotius (1625).
evoles ut ira breve nefas sit; regna arise, that your anger may [only] be a brief evil; control [it] A bilingual palindrome, yielding its English paraphrase, "Anger, 'tis safe never. Bar it! Use love!"
ex abundanti cautela out of an abundance of caution In law, describes someone taking precautions against a very remote contingency. "One might wear a belt in addition to braces ex abundanti cautela".[52] In banking, a loan in which the collateral is more than the loan itself. Also the basis for the term "an abundance of caution" employed by United States President Barack Obama to explain why the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court John Roberts had to re-administer the presidential oath of office, and again in reference to terrorist threats.
ex abundantia enim cordis os loquitur for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. From the Gospel of Matthew, XII.xxxiv (Vulgate), 12.34 (Douay-Rheims) and the Gospel of Luke, VI.xlv (Vulgate), 6.45 (Douay-Rheims). Sometimes rendered without enim ("for").
ex aequo from the equal Denoting "on equal footing", i. e., in a tie. Used for those two (seldom more) participants of a competition who demonstrated identical performance.
ex Africa semper aliquid novi "(There is) always something new (coming) out of Africa" Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 8, 42 (unde etiam vulgare Graeciae dictum semper aliquid novi Africam adferre[53]), a translation of the Greek «Ἀεὶ Λιβύη φέρει τι καινόν».
ex amicitia pax peace from friendship Often used on internal diplomatic event invitations. A motto sometimes inscribed on flags and mission plaques of diplomatic corps.
ex animo from the soul Sincerely.
ex ante from before Denoting "beforehand", "before the event", or "based on prior assumptions"; denoting a prediction.
Ex Astris Scientia From the Stars, Knowledge The motto of the fictional Starfleet Academy of Star Trek. Adapted from ex luna scientia, which in turn derived from ex scientia tridens.
ex cathedra from the chair A phrase applied to the declarations or promulgations of the Catholic Supreme Pontiff (Pope) when, preserved from the possibility of error by the Holy Spirit (see Papal infallibility), he solemnly declares or promulgates ("from the chair" that was the ancient symbol of the teacher and governor, in this case of the Church) a dogmatic doctrine on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at least being intimately connected to divine revelation. Used, by extension, of anyone who is perceived as speaking as though with supreme authority.
ex cultu robur from culture [comes] strength The motto of Cranleigh School, Surrey.
ex Deo from God
ex dolo malo from fraud "From harmful deceit"; dolus malus is the Latin legal term denoting "fraud". The full legal phrase is ex dolo malo non oritur actio ("an action does not arise from fraud"). When an action has its origin in fraud or deceit, it cannot be supported; thus, a court of law will not assist a man who bases his course of action on an immoral or illegal act.
ex duris gloria From suffering [comes] glory Motto of Rapha Cycling club (see also Rapha (sportswear))
ex facie from the face Idiomatically rendered "on the face of it". A legal term typically used to state that a document's explicit terms are defective absent further investigation. Also, "contempt ex facie" means contempt of court committed outside of the court, as contrasted with contempt in facie.
ex factis jus oritur the law arises from the facts
ex fide fiducia from faith [comes] confidence Motto of St George's College, Harare and Hartmann House Preparatory School
ex fide fortis from faith [comes] strength Motto of Loyola School in New York City, New York, United States.
ex glande quercus from the acorn the oak Motto of the Municipal Borough of Southgate, London, England, United Kingdom.
ex gratia from kindness More literally "from grace". Refers to someone voluntarily performing an act purely from kindness, as opposed to for personal gain or from being compelled to do it. In law, an ex gratia payment is one made without recognizing any liability or obligation.
ex hypothesi from the hypothesis Denoting "by hypothesis"
ex ignorantia ad sapientiam; ex luce ad tenebras (e.i.) from ignorance into wisdom; from light into darkness Motto of the fictional Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, from the Cthulhu Mythos
ex infra (e.i.) "from below" Recent academic notation denoting "from below in this writing". See also ex supra.
ex juvantibus from that which helps The medical pitfall in which response to a therapeutic regimen substitutes proper diagnosis.
ex lege from the law
ex libris from the books Precedes a person's name, denoting "from the library of" the nominate; also a synonym for "bookplate".
ex luna scientia from the moon, knowledge The motto of the Apollo 13 lunar mission, derived from ex scientia tridens, the motto of Jim Lovell's alma mater, the United States Naval Academy
ex malo bonum good out of evil From Saint Augustine of Hippo, "Sermon LXI", in which he contradicts the dictum of Seneca the Younger in Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 87:22: bonum ex malo non fit ("good does not come from evil"). Also the alias of the song "Miserabile Visu" by Anberlin in the album New Surrender.
ex mea sententia in my opinion
ex mero motu out of mere impulse, or of one's own accord
ex nihilo nihil fit nothing comes from nothing From Lucretius, and said earlier by Parmenides; in conjunction with "creation": creatio ex nihilo – "creation out of nothing"
ex novo anew something that has been newly made or made from scratch (see also de novo)
Ex Oblivione from oblivion The title of a short story by H. P. Lovecraft
ex officio from the office By virtue or right of office. Often used when someone holds one office by virtue of holding another: for example, the President of France is an ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. A common misconception is that all ex officio members of a committee or congress may not vote; but in some cases they do. In law ex officio can also refer to an administrative or judicial office taking action of its own accord; in the latter case the more common term is ex proprio motu or ex meru motu, for example to invalidate a patent or prosecute infringers of copyright.[54]
ex opere operantis from the work of the one working Theological phrase contrasted with ex opere operato, referring to the notion that the validity or promised benefit of a sacrament depends on the person administering it
ex opere operato from the work worked A theological phrase meaning that the act of receiving a sacrament actually confers the promised benefit, such as a baptism actually and literally cleansing one's sins. The Catholic Church affirms that the source of grace is God, not just the actions or disposition of the minister or the recipient of the sacrament.
ex oriente lux light from the east Originally refers to the sun rising in the east, but alludes to culture coming from the Eastern world. Motto of several institutions.
ex oriente pax peace comes from the east (i.e. from the Soviet Union) Shown on the logo as used by East Germany's CDU, a blue flag with two yellow stripes, a dove, and the CDU symbol in the center with the words ex oriente pax.
ex parte from a part A legal term that means "by one party" or "for one party". Thus, on behalf of one side or party only.
ex pede Herculem from his foot, so Hercules From the measure of Hercules' foot you shall know his size; from a part, the whole.
ex post from after "Afterward", "after the event". Based on knowledge of the past. Measure of past performance
ex post facto from a thing done afterward Said of a law with retroactive effect
ex professo from one declaring [an art or science] Or 'with due competence'. Said of the person who perfectly knows his art or science. Also used to mean "expressly".[55]
ex rel., or, ex relatio [arising] out of the relation/narration [of the relator] The term is a legal phrase; the legal citation guide called the Bluebook describes ex rel. as a "procedural phrase" and requires using it to abbreviate "on the relation of", "for the use of", "on behalf of", and similar expressions. An example of use is in court case titles such as Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar.
ex scientia tridens from knowledge, sea power The United States Naval Academy motto. Refers to knowledge bringing men power over the sea comparable to that of the trident-bearing Greek god Poseidon.
ex scientia vera from knowledge, truth The motto of the College of Graduate Studies at Middle Tennessee State University.
ex silentio from silence In general, the claim that the absence of something demonstrates the proof of a proposition. An argumentum ex silentio ("argument from silence") is an argument based on the assumption that someone's silence on a matter suggests ("proves" when a logical fallacy) that person's ignorance of the matter or their inability to counterargue validly.
ex situ out of position opposite of "in situ"
ex solo ad solem from the Earth to the Sun The motto of the University of Central Lancashire, Preston
ex supra (e.s.) "from above" Recent academic notation for "from above in this writing". See also ex infra.
ex tempore from [this moment of] time "This instant", "right away" or "immediately". Also written extempore
Ex turpi causa non oritur actio From a dishonorable cause an action does not arise A legal doctrine which states that a claimant will be unable to pursue a cause of action if it arises in connection with his own illegal act. Particularly relevant in the law of contract, tort and trusts.
ex umbra in solem from the shadow into the light Motto of Federico Santa María Technical University
ex undis from the waves [of the sea] motto in the coat of arms of Eemsmond
Ex Unitate Vires union is strength, or unity is strength Former motto of South Africa
ex vi termini from the force of the term Thus, "by definition"
ex vita discedo, tanquam ex hospitio, non tanquam ex domo I depart from life as from an inn, not as from home Cicero, Cato Maior de Senectute (On Old Age) 23
ex vivo out of or from life Used in reference to the study or assay of living tissue in an artificial environment outside the living organism.
ex voto from the vow Thus, in accordance with a promise. An ex voto is also an offering made in fulfillment of a vow.
ex vulgus scientia from the crowd, knowledge used to describe social computing, in The Wisdom of Crowds and discourse referring to it.
excelsior higher "Ever upward!" The state motto of New York. Also a catchphrase used by Marvel Comics head Stan Lee.
exceptio firmat (or probat) regulam in casibus non exceptis The exception confirms the rule in cases which are not excepted A juridical principle which means that the statement of a rule's exception (e.g., "no parking on Sundays") implicitly confirms the rule (i.e., that parking is allowed Monday through Saturday). Often mistranslated as "the exception that proves the rule".
excusatio non petita accusatio manifesta an excuse that has not been sought [is] an obvious accusation More loosely, "he who excuses himself, accuses himself"—an unprovoked excuse is a sign of guilt. In French, qui s'excuse, s'accuse
exeat s/he may go out A formal leave of absence
exegi monumentum aere perennius I have reared a monument more enduring than bronze Horace, Carmina III:XXX:I
exempli gratia (e.g.) for the sake of example, for example Exempli gratiā, 'for example', is usually abbreviated "e. g." or "e.g." (less commonly, ex. gr.). The abbreviation "e.g." often is interpreted anglicised as 'example given'. The plural exemplōrum gratiā to refer to multiple examples (separated by commas) is now not in frequent use; when used, it may be seen abbreviated as "ee.g." or even "ee.gg.", corresponding to the practice of doubling plurals in Latin abbreviations. E.g. is not usually followed by a comma in British English, but it often is in American usage. E.g. is often confused with i.e. (id est, meaning 'that is' or 'in other words').[56] Some writing styles give such abbreviations without punctuation, as ie and eg.[a]
Exemplum virtutis a model of virtue
exercitus sine duce corpus est sine spiritu an army without a leader is a body without a spirit On a plaque at the former military staff building of the Swedish Armed Forces
exeunt they leave Third-person plural present active indicative of the Latin verb exire; also seen in exeunt omnes, "all leave"; singular: exit. Typically used as a stage direction in plays which means that one or more actors should leave the stage.
experientia docet experience teaches This term has been used in dermatopathology to express that there is no substitute for experience in dealing with all the numerous variations that may occur with skin conditions.[73] The term has also been used in gastroenterology.[74] It is also the motto of San Francisco State University.
experimentum crucis experiment of the cross Or "crucial experiment". A decisive test of a scientific theory.
experto crede trust the expert Literally "believe one who has had experience". An author's aside to the reader.
expressio unius est exclusio alterius the expression of the one is the exclusion of the other "Mentioning one thing may exclude another thing". A principle of legal statutory interpretation: the explicit presence of a thing implies intention to exclude others; e.g., a reference in the Poor Relief Act 1601 to "lands, houses, tithes and coal mines" was held to exclude mines other than coal mines. Sometimes expressed as expressum facit cessare tacitum (broadly, "the expression of one thing excludes the implication of something else").
extra domum [placed] outside of the house Refers to a possible result of Catholic ecclesiastical legal proceedings when the culprit is removed from being part of a group like a monastery.
extra Ecclesiam nulla salus outside the Church [there is] no salvation This expression comes from the Epistle to Jubaianus, paragraph 21, written by Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a bishop of the third century. It is often used to summarise the doctrine that the Catholic Church is absolutely necessary for salvation.
extra omnes outside, all [of you] It is issued by the Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations before a session of the papal conclave which will elect a new pope. When spoken, all those who are not cardinals, or those otherwise mandated to be present at the conclave, must leave the Sistine Chapel.
extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur he who administers justice outside of his territory is disobeyed with impunity Refers to extraterritorial jurisdiction. Often cited in law of the sea cases on the high seas.
extrema ratio "extreme solution", "last possibility", "last possible course of action"

F[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
faber est suae quisque fortunae every man is the artisan of his own fortune Appius Claudius Caecus; motto of Fort Street High School in Petersham, Sydney, Australia
fac et spera do and hope motto of Clan Matheson
fac fortia et patere do brave deeds and endure motto of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, Australia
fac simile make a similar thing origin of the word facsimile, and, through it, of fax
faciam eos in gentem unam I will make them into one nation appeared on British coinage following the Union of the Crowns
faciam quodlibet quod necesse est I'll do whatever it takes
faciam ut mei memineris I'll make you remember me from Plautus, Persa IV.3–24; used by Russian hooligans as tattoo inscription
facile princeps easily the first said of the acknowledged leader in some field, especially in the arts and humanities
facilius est multa facere quam diu It is easier to do many things, than one thing consecutively Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 1/12:7
facio liberos ex liberis libris libraque "I make free adults out of children by means of books and a balance." motto of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico
facta, non verba deeds, not words Frequently used as motto
factum fieri infectum non potest It is impossible for a deed to be undone Terence, Phormio 5/8:45
falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus false in one, false in all A Roman legal principle indicating that a witness who willfully falsifies one matter is not credible on any matter. The underlying motive for attorneys to impeach opposing witnesses in court: the principle discredits the rest of their testimony if it is without corroboration.
familia supra omnia family over everything frequently used as a family motto
fas est et ab hoste doceri It is lawful to be taught even by an enemy Ovid, Metamorphoses 4:428
febris amatoria fever of love Hypochromic anemia or chlorosis, once described as the "fever of love", which was believed to stem from the yearning for passion in virgins. First written about in 1554 by the German physician Johannes Lange. Also known as "Disease of the Virgins".[75]
feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentes I have done what I could; let those who can do better. Slight variant ("quod potui feci") found in James Boswell's An Account of Corsica, there described as "a simple beautiful inscription on the front of Palazzo Tolomei at Siena".[76] Later, found in Henry Baerlein's introduction to his translation of The Diwan of Abul ʿAla by Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri (973–1057);[77] also in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, act 1. Also in Alfonso Moreno Espinosa, Compendio de Historia Universal, 5. ed. (Cádiz 1888).
NN fecit NN made (this) a formula used traditionally in the author's signature by painters, sculptors, artisans, scribes etc.; compare pinxit
fecisti patriam diversis de gentibus unam "From differing peoples you have made one native land" Verse 63 from the poem De reditu suo by Rutilius Claudius Namatianus praising emperor Augustus.[78]
felicior Augusto, melior Traiano "be more fortunate than Augustus and better than Trajan" ritual acclamation delivered to late Roman emperors
Felicitas, Integritas et Sapientia Happiness, Integrity and Knowledge The motto of Oakland Colegio Campestre school through which Colombia participates of NASA Educational Programs
felix culpa fortunate fault from the "Exsultet" of the Catholic liturgy for the Easter Vigil
felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas happy is he who can ascertain the causes of things Virgil. "Rerum cognoscere causas" is the motto of the London School of Economics, University of Sheffield, and University of Guelph.
felo de se felon from himself archaic legal term for one who commits suicide, referring to early English common law punishments, such as land seizure, inflicted on those who killed themselves
fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt men generally believe what they want to People's beliefs are shaped largely by their desires. Julius Caesar, The Gallic War 3.18
festina lente hurry slowly An oxymoronic motto of Augustus. It encourages proceeding quickly, but calmly and cautiously. Equivalent to "more haste, less speed". Motto of the Madeira School, McLean, Virginia and Berkhamsted School, Berkhamsted, England, United Kingdom
festinare nocet, nocet et cunctatio saepe; tempore quaeque suo qui facit, ille sapit. it is bad to hurry, and delay is often as bad; the wise person is the one who does everything in its proper time. Ovid[79]
fex urbis lex orbis dregs [classical Latin faex] of the city, law of the world attributed to Saint Jerome by Victor Hugo in Les Misérables[80][81]
fiat iustitia et pereat mundus let justice be done, though the world shall perish motto of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
fiat justitia ruat caelum let justice be done, should the sky fall attributed to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
fiat lux let there be light from the Genesis, "dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux" ("and God said: 'Let there be light', and there was light."); frequently used as the motto of schools.
fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum be it done to me according to thy word Virgin Mary's response to the Annunciation
fiat panis let there be bread Motto of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
fiat voluntas Dei May God's will be done motto of Robert May's School; see the next phrase below
fiat voluntas tua Thy will be done motto of Archbishop Richard Smith of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton; quotation of the third petition of the Pater Noster (Our Father) prayer dictated by Jesus Christ and his response to the Father during the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
ficta voluptatis causa sint proxima veris fictions meant to please should approximate the truth Horace, Ars Poetica (338); advice presumably discounted by the magical realists
Fidei Defensor (Fid Def) or (fd) Defender of the Faith A title given to King Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on 17 October 1521, before Henry broke from the Roman Church and founded the Church of England. British monarchs continue to use the title, which is still inscribed on all British coins, and usually abbreviated.
fidem scit he knows the faith sometimes mistranslated to "keep the faith" when used in contemporary English writings of all kinds to convey a light-hearted wish for the reader's well-being
fides qua creditur the faith by which it is believed Roman Catholic theological term for the personal faith that apprehends what is believed, contrasted with fides quae creditur, which is what is believed; see next phrase below
fides quae creditur the faith which is believed Roman Catholic theological term for the content and truths of the Faith or "the deposit of the Faith", contrasted with fides qua creditur, which is the personal faith by which the Faith is believed; see previous phrase
fides quaerens intellectum faith seeking understanding motto of St. Anselm; Proslogion
fidus Achates faithful Achates refers to a faithful friend; from the name of Aeneas's faithful companion in Virgil's Aeneid
filiae nostrae sicut anguli incisi similitudine templi may our daughters be as polished as the corners of the temple motto of Francis Holland School
finis coronat opus the end crowns the work A major part of a work is properly finishing it. Motto of Poole Grammar School in Dorset, UK; St. Mary's Catholic High School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; on the coat of arms of Seychelles; and of the Amin Investment Bank
finis origine pendet the end depends upon the beginning one of the mottos of Phillips Academy[82]
finis vitae sed non amoris the end of life, but not of love unknown
flagellum dei the scourge of God title for Attila the Hun, the ruthless invader of the Western Roman Empire
flatus vocis [a or the] breath of voice a mere name, word, or sound without a corresponding objective reality; expression used by the nominalists of universals and traditionally attributed to the medieval philosopher Roscelin of Compiègne
flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo if I can not reach Heaven I will raise Hell Virgil, Aeneid, Book VII.312
floreat Etona may Eton flourish Motto of Eton College, England, United Kingdom
floreat nostra schola may our school flourish a common scholastic motto
floreat pica may the Magpie flourish Motto of Collingwood Football Club
floruit (fl.) one flourished indicates a date on which a person is known to have been alive, often the period when a historic person was most active or was accomplishing that for which he is famous; may be used as a substitute when the dates of his birth and/or death are unknown.
fluctuat nec mergitur it is tossed by the waves but does not founder Motto of the City of Paris, France
fons et origo the spring and source also: "the fountainhead and beginning"
fons sapientiae, verbum Dei the fount of knowledge is the word of God motto of Bishop Blanchet High School
fons vitae caritas love is the fountain of life motto of Chisipite Senior School and Chisipite Junior School
formosam resonare doces Amaryllida silvas teach the woods to re-echo "fair Amaryllis" Virgil, Eclogues, 1:5
formosum pastor Corydon ardebat Alexin the shepherd Corydon burned with love for the handsome Alexis Virgil, Eclogues, 2:1. Highlighted by various authors (Richard Barnfield, Lord Byron) as a reference to same-sex love. Also Alexim.
forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit perhaps even these things will be good to remember one day Virgil, Aeneid, Book 1, Line 203
fortes fortuna adiuvat Fortune favors the brave or Fortune favors the strong From Terence's comedy play Phormio, line 203. Also spelled fortis fortuna adiuvat. The motto of HMS Brave and USS Florida.
fortes fortuna iuvat Fortune favors the brave From the letters of Pliny the Younger, Book 6, Letter 16. Often quoted as fortes fortuna juvat. The motto of the Jutland Dragoon Regiment of Denmark.
fortes in fide strong in faith a common motto
fortis cadere, cedere non potest the brave may fall, but can not yield motto on the coat of arms of the Fahnestock Family and of the Palmetto Guard of Charleston, South Carolina
fortis est veritas truth is strong motto on the coat of arms of Oxford, England, United Kingdom
fortis et liber strong and free motto of Alberta, Canada
fortis in arduis strong in difficulties/adversary motto of the Municipal Borough of Middleton, from the Earl of Middleton and of Syed Ahmad Shaheed House of Army Burn Hall College in Abbottabad, Pakistan
fortiter et fideliter bravely and faithfully a common motto
fortiter in re, suaviter in modo resolute in execution, gentle in manner a common motto
fortius quo fidelius strength through loyalty Motto of St Kilda Football Club
fortunae meae, multorum faber artisan of my fate and that of several others motto of Gatineau
fraus omnia vitiat fraud vitiates everything a legal principle: the occurrence or taint of fraud in a (legal) transaction entirely invalidates it
Frustra legis auxilium quaerit qui in legem committit in vain does he who offends the law seek the law's aid a legal principle: one cannot invoke the law to assist in an illegal purpose. Inscribed on the facade of the Quebec Court of Appeal in Montreal.
fui quod es, eris quod sum I once was what you are, you will be what I am An epitaph that reminds the reader of the inevitability of death, as if to state: "Once I was alive like you are, and you will be dead as I am now." It was carved on the gravestones of some Roman military officers.
fumus boni iuris presumption of sufficient legal basis a legal principle
fundamenta inconcussa unshakable foundation

G[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres all Gaul is divided into three parts the celebrated opening line of Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War
gaudia certaminis the joys of battle according to Cassiodorus, an expression used by Attila in addressing his troops prior to the 451 Battle of Châlons
gaudeamus hodie let us rejoice today
gaudeamus igitur therefore let us rejoice First words of an academic anthem used, among other places, in The Student Prince.
gaudete in domino rejoice in the Lord Motto of Bishop Allen Academy
gaudium in veritate joy in truth Motto of Campion School
generalia specialibus non derogant general provisions enacted in later legislation do not detract from specific provisions enacted in earlier legislation A principle of statutory interpretation: If a matter falls under a specific provision in a statute enacted before a general provision enacted in a later statute, it is to be presumed that the legislature did not intend that the earlier specific provision be repealed, and the matter is governed by the earlier specific provision, not the more recent general one.
genius loci spirit of place The unique, distinctive aspects or atmosphere of a place, such as those celebrated in art, stories, folk tales, and festivals. Originally, the genius loci was literally the protective spirit of a place, a creature usually depicted as a snake.
generatim discite cultus Learn each field of study according to its kind. (Virgil, Georgics II.) Motto of the University of Bath.
gens una sumus we are one people Motto of FIDE. Can be traced back to Claudian's poem De consulatu Stilichonis.
gesta non verba deeds, not words Motto of James Ruse Agricultural High School.
Gloria in excelsis Deo Glory to God in the Highest Often translated "Glory to God on High". The title and beginning of an ancient Roman Catholic doxology, the Greater Doxology. See also ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
Gloria invidiam vicisti By your fame you have conquered envy Sallust, Bellum Jugurthum ("Jugurthine War") 10:2.
gloria filiorum patres The glory of sons is their fathers (Proverbs17:6) Motto of Eltham College
Gloria Patri Glory to the Father The beginning of the Lesser Doxology.
gloriosus et liber glorious and free Motto of Manitoba
gradatim ferociter by degrees, ferociously Motto of private spaceflight company Blue Origin, which officially treats "Step by step, ferociously" as the English translation
gradibus ascendimus ascending by degrees Motto of Grey College, Durham
Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit Conquered Greece in turn defeated its savage conqueror Horace Epistles 2.1
Graecum est; non legitur It is Greek (and therefore) it cannot be read. Most commonly from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar where Casca couldn't explain to Cassius what Cicero was saying because he was speaking Greek. The more common colloquialism would be: It's all Greek to me.
grandescunt aucta labore By hard work, all things increase and grow Motto of McGill University
gratia et scientia grace and learning Motto of Arundel School
gratiae veritas naturae Truth through mercy and nature Motto of Uppsala University
graviora manent heavier things remain Virgil Aeneid 6:84; more severe things await, the worst is yet to come
Gravis Dulcis Immutabilis serious sweet immutable Title of a poem by James Elroy Flecker[83]
gutta cavat lapidem [non vi sed saepe cadendo] a water drop hollows a stone [not by force, but by falling often] main phrase is from Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto IV, 10, 5.;[84] expanded in the Middle Ages

H[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
habeas corpus [we command] that you have the body [brought up] A legal term from the 14th century or earlier. Refers to a number of legal writs requiring a jailer to bring a prisoner in person (hence corpus) before a court or judge, most commonly habeas corpus ad subjiciendum ("that you have the body [brought up] for the purpose of subjecting [the case to examination]"). Commonly used as the general term for a prisoner's legal right to challenge the legality of their detention.
habemus papam we have a pope Used after a Catholic Church papal election to announce publicly a successful ballot to elect a new pope.
habent sua fata libelli Books have their destiny [according to the capabilities of the reader] Terentianus Maurus, De litteris, de syllabis, de metris, 1:1286.
hac lege with this law
haec olim meminisse iuvabit one day, this will be pleasing to remember Commonly rendered in English as "One day, we'll look back on this and smile". From Virgil's Aeneid 1.203. Also, motto of Handsworth Grammar School, and the Jefferson Society.
haec ornamenta mea [sunt] "These are my ornaments" or
"These are my jewels"
Attributed to Cornelia Africana (talking about her children) by Valerius Maximus in Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX, IV, 4, incipit.[85][86]
Hannibal ad portas Hannibal at the gates Found in Cicero's first Philippic and in Livy's Ab urbe condita
Hannibal was a fierce enemy of Rome who almost brought them to defeat.
Sometimes rendered "Hannibal ante portas", with similar meaning: "Hannibal before the gates"
haud ignota loquor I speak not of unknown things Thus, "I say no things that are unknown". From Virgil's Aeneid, 2.91.
Hei mihi! quod nullis amor est medicabilis herbis. Oh me! love can not be cured by herbs From Ovid's Metamorphoses, I, 523.
hic abundant leones here lions abound Written on uncharted territories of old maps; see also: here be dragons.
hic et nunc here and now

The imperative motto for the satisfaction of desire. "I need it, Here and Now"

hic et ubique here and everywhere
hic jacet (HJ) here lies Also rendered hic iacet. Written on gravestones or tombs, preceding the name of the deceased. Equivalent to hic sepultus (here is buried), and sometimes combined into hic jacet sepultus (HJS), "here lies buried".
hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurrere vitae This is the place where death delights in helping life A motto of many morgues or wards of anatomical pathology.
hic manebimus optime here we will remain most excellently According to Titus Livius the phrase was pronounced by Marcus Furius Camillus, addressing the senators who intended to abandon the city, invaded by Gauls, circa 390 BC. It is used today to express the intent to keep one's position, even if the circumstances appear adverse.
hic mortui vivunt et muti loquuntur here the dead live and the mute speak inscription on several libraries
hic Rhodus, hic salta Here is Rhodes, jump here From the Latin version of "The Boastful Athlete" in Aesop's Fables[87] as formulated by Erasmus in his Adagia. An athlete brags about his impressive jump at a past event in Rhodes, whereupon he is challenged to reproduce it then and there, not merely boast. In other words, prove what you can do, here and now. Cited by Hegel and Marx.
hic sunt dracones here there are dragons Written on a globe engraved on two conjoined halves of ostrich eggs, dated to 1504.
hic sunt leones here there are lions Written on uncharted territories of old maps.
hinc et inde from both sides
hinc illae lacrimae hence those tears From Terence, Andria, line 125. Originally literal, referring to the tears shed by Pamphilus at the funeral of Chrysis, it came to be used proverbially in the works of later authors, such as Horace (Epistula XIX, 41).
hinc itur ad astra from here the way leads to the stars Written on the wall of the old astronomical observatory of Vilnius University, Lithuania, and the university's motto.
hinc robur et securitas herefore strength and safety Motto of the Central Bank of Sweden.
historia vitae magistra history, the teacher of life From Cicero's De Oratore, II, 9. Also "history is the mistress of life".
hoc age do this Motto of Bradford Grammar School
hoc est bellum This is war
hoc est Christum cognoscere, beneficia eius cognoscere To know Christ is to know his benefits Famous dictum by the Reformer Melanchthon in his Loci Communes of 1521
hoc est enim corpus meum For this is my Body The words of Jesus reiterated in Latin during the Roman Catholic Eucharist. Sometimes simply written as Hoc est corpus meum or "This is my body".
hoc genus omne All that crowd/people From Horace's Satires, 1/2:2. Refers to the crowd at Tigellio's funeral (c. 40–39 BC). Not to be confused with et hoc genus omne (English: and all that sort of thing).
hodie mihi, cras tibi Today it's me, tomorrow it will be you Inscription that can be seen on tombstones dating from the Middle Ages, meant to outline the ephemerality of life.
hominem pagina nostra sapit It is of man that my page smells From Martial's Epigrams, Book 10, No. 4, Line 10; stating his purpose in writing.
hominem non morbum cura Treat the man, not the disease Motto of the Far Eastern University – Institute of Nursing
homo bulla man is a bubble Varro (116 BC – 27 BC), in the opening line of the first book of Rerum Rusticarum Libri Tres, wrote quod, ut dicitur, si est homo bulla, eo magis senex (for if, as they say, man is a bubble, all the more so is an old man)[88] later reintroduced by Erasmus in his Adagia, a collection of sayings published in 1572.
homo homini lupus man [is a] wolf to man First attested in Plautus' Asinaria (lupus est homo homini). The sentence was drawn on by Thomas Hobbes in De Cive as a concise expression of his views on human nature.
Homo minister et interpres naturae Man, the servant and interpreter of nature Motto of the Lehigh University
homo praesumitur bonus donec probetur malus One is innocent until proven guilty See also: presumption of innocence.
homo sine pecunia imago mortis[89] a man without money is the image of death
homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto I am a human being; nothing human is strange to me From Terence's Heauton Timorumenos (The Self-Tormentor) (163 BC). Originally "strange" or "foreign" (alienum) was used in the sense of "irrelevant", as this line was a response to the speaker being told to mind his own business, but it is now commonly used to advocate respecting different cultures and being humane in general. Puto (I consider) is not translated because it is meaningless outside of the line's context within the play.
homo unius libri a man of a single book Attributed to Thomas Aquinas: «Hominem unius libri timeo» “I fear a man of a single book.”
honestas ante honores honesty before glory Motto of King George V School, Hong Kong
honor et virtus post morte floret honesty and virtue flourish after death inscribed in the stonework in Paolo Veronese's (1565 c.) Painting Allegory of Virtue and Vice
honor virtutis praemium esteem is the reward of virtue Motto of Arnold School, Blackpool, England
honoris causa for the sake of honor Said of an honorary title, such as "Doctor of Science honoris causa"
hora fugit the hour flees See tempus fugit
hora somni (h.s.) at the hour of sleep Medical shorthand for "at bedtime"
horas non numero nisi serenas I do not count the hours unless they are sunny A common inscription on sundials.
horresco referens I shudder as I tell From Virgil's Aeneid, 2.204, on the appearance of the sea-serpents who kill the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons
horribile dictu horrible to say cf. mirabile dictu
hortus in urbe A garden in the city Motto of the Chicago Park District, a playful allusion to the city's motto, urbs in horto, q.v.
hortus siccus A dry garden A collection of dry, preserved plants
hostis humani generis enemy of the human race Cicero defined pirates in Roman law as being enemies of humanity in general.
humilitas occidit superbiam humility conquers pride
hypotheses non fingo I do not fabricate hypotheses From Newton, Principia. Less literally, "I do not assert that any hypotheses are true".

I[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
I, Vitelli, dei Romani sono belli Go, O Vitellius, at the war sound of the Roman god Perfectly correct Latin sentence usually reported as funny by modern Italians because the same exact words, in Italian, mean "Romans' calves are beautiful", which has a ridiculously different meaning.
ibidem (ibid.) in the same place Usually used in bibliographic citations to refer to the last source previously referenced.
id est (i.e.) that is (literally "it is") "That is (to say)" in the sense of "that means" and "which means", or "in other words", "namely", or sometimes "in this case", depending on the context.
id quod plerumque accidit that which generally happens A phrase used in legal language to indicate the most probable outcome from an act, fact, event or cause.
idem (id.) the same Used to refer to something that has already been cited; ditto. See also ibidem.
idem quod (i.q.) the same as Not to be confused with an intelligence quotient.
Idus Martiae the Ides of March In the Roman calendar, the Ides of March refers to the 15th day of March. In modern times, the term is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC; the term has come to be used as a metaphor for impending doom.
Jesu juva (J.J.) Jesus, help! Used by Johann Sebastian Bach at the beginning of his compositions, which he ended with "S.D.G." (Soli Deo gloria). Compare Besiyata Dishmaya.
Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (INRI) Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews From Vulgate; John 19:19. John 19:20 states that this inscription was written in three languages—Aramaic, Latin and Greek—at the top of the cross during the crucifixion of Jesus.
igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum Therefore whoever desires peace, let him prepare for war Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De re militari; similar to si vis pacem, para bellum and in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello.
igne natura renovatur integra through fire, nature is reborn whole An alchemical aphorism invented as an alternate meaning for the acronym INRI.
igni ferroque with fire and iron A phrase describing scorched earth tactics. Also rendered as igne atque ferro, ferro ignique, and other variations.
ignis aurum probat fire tests gold A phrase referring to the refining of character through difficult circumstances, it is also the motto of the Prometheus Society.
ignis fatuus foolish fire Will-o'-the-wisp.
ignorantia juris non excusat (or ignorantia legis non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat) ignorance of the law is no excuse A legal principle whereby ignorance of a law does not allow one to escape liability.
ignoratio elenchi ignorance of the issue The logical fallacy of irrelevant conclusion: making an argument that, while possibly valid, doesn't prove or support the proposition it claims to. An ignoratio elenchi that is an intentional attempt to mislead or confuse the opposing party is known as a red herring. Elenchi is from the Greek elenchos.
ignotum per ignotius unknown by means of the more unknown An explanation that is less clear than the thing to be explained. Synonymous with obscurum per obscurius.
ignotus (ign.) unknown
illum oportet crescere me autem minui He must become greater; I must become less In the Gospel of John 3:30, a phrase said by John the Baptist after baptizing Jesus. Motto of Saint John the Baptist Catholic School, San Juan, Metro Manila.
imago Dei image of God From the religious concept that man was created in "God's image".
imitatio dei imitation of a god A principle, held by several religions, that believers should strive to resemble their god(s).
imperium in imperio an order within an order
  1. A group of people who owe utmost fealty to their leader(s), subordinating the interests of the larger group to the authority of the internal group's leader(s).
  2. A "fifth column" organization operating against the organization within which they seemingly reside.
  3. "State within a state"
imperium sine fine an empire without an end In Virgil's Aeneid, Jupiter ordered Aeneas to found a city (Rome) from which would come an everlasting, never-ending empire, the endless (sine fine) empire.
impossibilium nulla obligatio est there is no obligation to do the impossible Publius Juventius Celsus, Digesta L 17, 185.
imprimatur let it be printed An authorization to publish, granted by some censoring authority (originally a Catholic bishop).
in absentia in the absence Used in a number of situations, such as in a trial carried out in the absence of the accused.
in absentia lucis, tenebrae vincunt in the absence of light, darkness prevails
in actu in act In the very act; in reality.
[Dominica] in albis [depositis] [Sunday in Setting Aside the] White Garments Latin name of the Octave of Easter.
in articulo mortis at the point of death
in bono veritas truth is in the good
in camera in the chamber In secret. See also camera obscura.
in casu (i.c.) in the event In this case.
in cauda venenum the poison is in the tail Using the metaphor of a scorpion, this can be said of an account that proceeds gently, but turns vicious towards the end—or more generally waits till the end to reveal an intention or statement that is undesirable in the listener's ears.
in com. Ebor. In the county of Yorkshire Abbreviation of in comitatu Eboraci. Eboracum was the Roman name for York and this phrase is used in some Georgian and Victorian books on the genealogy of prominent Yorkshire families.
in Christi lumine pro mundi vita in the light of Christ for the life on the world Motto of Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
incurvatus in se turned/curved inward on oneself
in Deo speramus in God we hope Motto of Brown University.
in dubio pro reo in doubt, on behalf of the [alleged] culprit Expresses the judicial principle that in case of doubt the decision must be in favor of the accused (in that anyone is innocent until there is proof to the contrary).
in duplo in double In duplicate
in effigie in the likeness In (the form of) an image; in effigy (as opposed to "in the flesh" or "in person").
in esse in existence In actual existence; as opposed to in posse.
in extenso in the extended In full; at full length; complete or unabridged
in extremis in the furthest reaches At the very end. In extremity; in dire straits; also "at the point of death" (cf. in articulo mortis).
in facie in the face Refers to contempt of court committed in open court in front of the judge. Contrast ex facie.
in fide scientiam To our faith add knowledge Motto of Newington College.
in fidem into faith To the verification of faith.
in fieri in becoming In progress; pending.
in fine (i.f.) in the end At the end. Used in footnotes, for example, "p. 157 in fine": "the end of page 157".
in flagrante delicto in a blazing wrong, while the crime is blazing Caught in the act (esp. a crime or in a "compromising position"); equivalent to "caught red-handed" in English idiom.
in flore in blossom Blooming.
in foro in forum In court (legal term).
in forma pauperis in the character or manner of a pauper
in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni We enter the circle at night and are consumed by fire A palindrome said to describe the behavior of moths. Also the title of a film by Guy Debord.
in harmonia progressio progress in harmony Motto of Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia.
in hoc sensu, or in sensu hoc (s.h.) in this sense Recent academic abbreviation for "in this sense".
in hoc signo vinces by this sign you will conquer Words Constantine the Great claimed to have seen in a vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
in hunc effectum for this purpose Describes a meeting called for a particular stated purpose only.
in ictu oculi in the blink of an eye
in illo ordine (i.o.) in that order Recent academic substitution for the spacious and inconvenient "..., respectively".
in illo tempore in that time At that time, found often in Gospel lectures during Masses, used to mark an undetermined time in the past.
in inceptum finis est lit.: in the beginning is the end or: the beginning foreshadows the end
in limine at the outset/threshold Preliminary, in law, a motion in limine is a motion that is made to the judge before or during trial, often about the admissibility of evidence believed prejudicial.
in loco in the place, on the spot That is, 'on site'. "The nearby labs were closed for the weekend, so the water samples were analyzed in loco."
in loco parentis in the place of a parent Assuming parental or custodial responsibility and authority (e.g., schoolteachers over students); a legal term.
in luce Tua videmus lucem in Thy light we see light Motto of Valparaiso University. The phrase comes from Psalm 36:9: "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."
in lumine tuo videbimus lumen in your light we will see the light Motto of Columbia University New York City, Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School Ghana, Ohio Wesleyan University, University of Fort Hare South Africa
in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum into your hands I entrust my spirit According to Luke 23:46, the last words of Jesus on the cross
in medias res into the middle of things From Horace. Refers to the literary technique of beginning a narrative in the middle of, or at a late point in, the story, after much action has already taken place. Examples include the Iliad, the Odyssey, Os Lusíadas, Othello, and Paradise Lost. Compare ab initio.
in memoriam into the memory Equivalent to "in the memory of". Refers to remembering or honoring a deceased person.
in natura in nature
in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas in necessary things unity, in doubtful things liberty, in all things charity "Charity" (caritas) is being used in the classical sense of "compassion" (cf. agape). Motto of the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen. Often misattributed to Augustine of Hippo.[citation needed]
in nocte consilium advice comes in the night; "sleep on it" Motto of Birkbeck College, University of London, an evening higher-education institution[90]
in nomine diaboli in the name of the devil
in nomine Domini in the name of the Lord Motto of Trinity College, Perth, Australia; the name of a 1050 papal bull
in nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit invocation of the Holy Trinity; part of the Latin Mass
in nuce in a nut in a nutshell; briefly stated; potential; in the embryonic phase
in odium fidei in hatred of the faith Used in reference to the deaths of Christian martyrs
in omnia paratus ready for anything Motto of the United States Army's 18th Infantry Regiment
in omnibus amare et servire Domino in everything, love and serve the Lord The motto of Ateneo de Iloilo, a school in the Philippines
in omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book Quote by Thomas à Kempis
in ovo in the egg An experiment or process performed in an egg or embryo (e.g. in ovo electroporation of chicken embryo).
in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello in peace, like the wise man, make preparations for war Horace, Satires 2/2:111; similar to si vis pacem, para bellum and igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
in pace requiescat in peace may he rest Alternate form of requiescat in pace ("let him rest in peace"). Found in this form at the end of The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe.
in pari materia upon the same matter or subject In statutory interpretation, when a statute is ambiguous, its meaning may be determined in light of other statutes on the same subject matter.
in pari delicto in equal fault
in partibus infidelium in the parts of the infidels "In the land of the infidels"; used to refer to bishoprics that remain as titular sees even after the corresponding territory was conquered, usually by Muslim rulers.
in pectore in the heart A cardinal named in secret by the pope. See also ab imo pectore.
in personam against a person Directed towards a particular person
in posse in potential In the state of being possible; as opposed to in esse.
in propria persona in one's own person For one's self, for the sake of one's personhood; acting on one's own behalf, especially a person representing themselves in a legal proceeding; abbreviated pro per. See also pro se: litigant in person, pro se legal representation in the United States.[91]
in principio erat Verbum in the beginning was the Word (Logos) Beginning of the Gospel of John
in re in the matter [of] A legal term used to indicate that a judicial proceeding may not have formally designated adverse parties or is otherwise uncontested. The term is commonly used in case citations of probate proceedings, for example, In re Smith's Estate; it is also used in juvenile courts, as, for instance, In re Gault.
in rebus in the thing [itself] Primarily of philosophical use to discuss properties and property exemplification. In philosophy of mathematics, it is typically contrasted with "ante rem" and, more recently, "post res" structuralism. Sometimes in re is used in place of in rebus.
in regione caecorum rex est luscus In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. A quote of Desiderius Erasmus from Adagia (first published 1500, with numerous expanded editions through 1536), III, IV, 96.
in rem against the thing Legal term indicating a court's jurisdiction over a piece of property rather than a legal person; contrast with personal (ad personam) jurisdiction. See In rem jurisdiction; Quasi in rem jurisdiction
in rerum natura in the nature of things See also Lucretius' De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things).
in retentis among things held back Used to describe documents kept separately from the regular records of a court for special reasons.
in saecula (saeculorum), in saeculum saeculi roughly: down to the times of the times forever (and ever); liturgical
in saeculo in the times In the secular world, esp. outside a monastery, or before death.
in salvo in safety
in scientia et virtue in knowledge and virtue Motto of St. Joseph's College, Colombo, Colombo. Sri Lanka
in se magna ruunt great things collapse of their own weight Lucan, Pharsalia 1:81.
in silvam non ligna feras Do not carry wood to the forest Horace, Satires 1:10.
in situ in the place In the original place, appropriate position, or natural arrangement.
in somnis veritas In dreams there is truth
in spe in hope "future" ("my mother-in-law in spe", i.e. "my future mother-in-law"), or "in embryonic form", as in "Locke's theory of government resembles, in spe, Montesquieu's theory of the separation of powers."
in specialibus generalia quaerimus To seek the general in the specifics That is, to understand the most general rules through the most detailed analysis.
in statu nascendi in the state of being born Just as something is about to begin
in theatro ludus like a scene in a play Surreal
in toto in all Totally; entirely; completely.
in triplo in triple In triplicate.
in umbra, igitur, pugnabimus Then we will fight in the shade Laconic phrase supposedly given by the Spartans in response to the Persian boast at the Battle of Thermopylae that their arrows would obscure the sun. The response, though not in this form, was variously attributed to the soldier Dienekes or to King Leonidas I.
in utero in the womb
in utrumque paratus prepared for either (event)
in vacuo in a void In a vacuum; isolated from other things.
in varietate concordia united in diversity The motto of the European Union
in verbo tuo at your word a reference to the response of Peter when he was invited by Jesus to "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch" (Luke 5:4–5).
invidiae prudentia victrix prudence conquers jealousy
in vino veritas in wine [there is] truth That is, wine loosens the tongue (referring to alcohol's disinhibitory effects).
in vitro in glass An experimental or process methodology performed in a "non-natural" setting (e.g. in a laboratory using a glass test tube or Petri dish), and thus outside of a living organism or cell. Alternative experimental or process methodologies include in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo.
in vivo in life/in a living thing An experiment or process performed on a living specimen.
in vivo veritas in a living thing [there is] truth An expression used by biologists to express the fact that laboratory findings from testing an organism in vitro are not always reflected when applied to an organism in vivo. A pun on in vino veritas.
incepto ne desistam May I not shrink from my purpose! Motto of Westville Boys' High School and Westville Girls' High School, from Virgil, Aeneid, Book 1. Used by Juno, queen of heaven, who hated the Trojans led by Aeneas. When she saw the fleet of Aeneas on its way to Italy, after the sack of Troy by the Greeks, she planned to scatter it by means of strong winds. In her determination to accomplish her task she cried out "Incepto ne desistam!"
incertae sedis of uncertain position (seat) A term used to classify a taxonomic group when its broader relationships are unknown or undefined.
incredibile dictu incredible to say A variant on mirabile dictu.
intus et in cute inwardly and in the skin Intimately, without reservation. Persius, Satire 3:30.
Index Librorum Prohibitorum Index of Prohibited (or, Forbidden) Books A list of books considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.
indigens Deo being in need of God, beggar before God From Augustine, De Civitate Dei XII, 1.3: beatitudinem consequatur nec expleat indigentiam suam, "since it is not satisfied unless it be perfectly blessed".
indignor quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus I too am annoyed whenever good Homer falls asleep Horace, Ars Poetica 358
indivisibiliter ac inseparabiliter indivisible and inseparable Motto of Austria-Hungary before it was divided and separated into independent states in 1918.
infinitus est numerus stultorum unending is the number of fools
infirma mundi elegit Deus God chooses the weak of the world The motto of Venerable Vital-Justin Grandin, the bishop of the St. Albert Diocese, which is now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
infra dignitatem (infra dig) beneath (one's) dignity
ingenio stat sine morte decus the honors of genius are eternal Propertius, Elegies Book III, 2
initium sapientiae timor Domini the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Psalm 111:10. Motto of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
iniuriae qui addideris contumeliam you who have added insult to injury Phaedrus, Fables 5/3:5.
inopiae desunt multa, avaritiae omnia to poverty many things are lacking; to avarice, everything Publilius Syrus.
insita hominibus libidine alendi de industria rumores men have an innate desire to propagate rumors or reports Titus Livius (XXVII, XXIV); Michel de Montaigne, Essays.
instante mense (inst.) in the present month Used in formal correspondence to refer to the current month, sometimes abbreviated as inst; e.g.: "Thank you for your letter of the 17th inst."—ult. mense = last month, prox. mense = next month.
Instrumentum regni instrument of government Used to express the exploitation of religion by State or ecclesiastical polity as a means of controlling the masses, or in particular to achieve political and mundane ends.
Instrumentum vocale instrument with voice So Varro in his De re rustica (On Agriculture) defines the slave: an instrument (as a simple plow, or etc.) with voice.
intaminatis fulget honoribus untarnished, she shines with honor From Horace's Odes (III.2.18). Motto of Wofford College.
integer vitae scelerisque purus unimpaired by life and clean of wickedness From Horace's Odes (I.22.1)[92] Used as a funeral hymn.
intelligenti pauca few words suffice for him who understands
inter alia (i.a.) among other things A term used in formal extract minutes to indicate that the minute quoted has been taken from a fuller record of other matters, or when alluding to the parent group after quoting a particular example.
inter alios among others Often used to compress lists of parties to legal documents
inter arma enim silent leges in a time of war, the law falls silent Said by Cicero in Pro Milone as a protest against unchecked political mobs that had virtually seized control of Rome in the 60s and 50s BC. Famously quoted in the essay Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau as "The clatter of arms drowns out the voice of the law". This phrase has also been jokingly translated as "In a time of arms, the legs are silent."
inter caetera among others Title of a papal bull.
inter mutanda constantia steadfast in the midst of change Motto of Rockwell College in Ireland and Francis Libermann Catholic High School in Ontario, Canada
inter spem et metum between hope and fear
inter faeces et urinam nascimur we are born between feces and urine Attributed to Saint Augustine.
inter vivos between the living Describes property transfers between living persons, as opposed to a testamentary transfer upon death such as an inheritance; often relevant to tax laws.
intra muros within the walls Not public; source of the word intramural. Can also refer to the portion of a city within the city walls (current or past); for example, Intramuros, Manila.
intra vires within the powers Within one's authority. Contrasted with ultra vires.
invenias etiam disiecti membra poetae you would still recognize the scattered fragments of a poet Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62, in reference to the earlier Roman poet Ennius.
inveniet quod quisque velit each shall find what he desires Attributed to Petronius[93] or Prudentius. Motto of the journal Nature in Cambridgeshire:[94] Inveniet quod quisque velit; non omnibus unum est, quod placet; hic spinas colligit, ille rosas ("Each shall find what he desires; no one thing pleases all; one gathers thorns, another roses").
invicta unconquered Motto of the English county of Kent and the city of Oporto
invictus maneo I remain unvanquished Motto of the Armstrong clan
Iohannes est nomen eius John is his name Luke 1:63, referring to John the Baptist. Motto of the coat of arms of Puerto Rico.
ipsa scientia potestas est knowledge itself is power Famous phrase written by Sir Francis Bacon in 1597
ipse dixit he himself said it Commonly said in Medieval debates and referring to Aristotle. Used in general to emphasize that some assertion comes from some authority, i.e., as an argument from authority, and the term ipse-dixitism has come to mean any unsupported rhetorical assertion that lacks a logical argument. A literal translation by Cicero (in his De Natura Deorum 1.10) of the Greek αὐτὸς ἔφα, an invocation by Pythagoreans when appealing to the pronouncements of the master.
ipsissima verba the very words themselves "Strictly word for word" (cf. verbatim). Often used in Biblical Studies to describe the record of Jesus' teaching found in the New Testament (specifically, the four Gospels).
ipsissima voce in the very voice itself To approximate the main thrust or message without using the exact words
ipso facto by the fact itself By that very fact
ipso iure by the law itself Automatically as a consequence of law
ira deorum wrath of the gods Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient world, the ancient Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it important to achieve a state of pax deorum (peace of the gods) instead of ira deorum (wrath of the gods): earthquakes, floods, famine, etc.
ira furor brevis est wrath (anger) is but a brief madness
ita vero thus indeed A useful phrase, as the Romans had no word for "yes", preferring to respond to questions with the affirmative or negative of the question (e.g., "Are you hungry?" was answered by "I am hungry" or "I am not hungry", not "yes" or "no").
ite, missa est go, it is the dismissal Loosely: "You have been dismissed", literally "Go. Mass is over". Concluding words addressed to the people in the Mass of the Roman Rite.[95]
iter legis the path of the law The path a law takes from its conception to its implementation
iucunda memoria est praeteritorum malorum pleasant is the memory of past troubles Cicero, De finibus bonorum et malorum 2, 32, 105
iugulare mortuos to cut the throat of corpses From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) (better known as Erasmus) collection of annotated Adagia (1508). It can mean attacking the work or personality of deceased person. Alternatively, it can be used to describe criticism of an individual already heavily criticised by others.
iuncta iuvant together they strive also spelled juncta juvant; from the legal principle quae non valeant singula, iuncta iuvant ("What is without value on its own, helps when joined")
iura novit curia the court knows the law A legal principle in civil law countries of the Roman-German tradition that says that lawyers need not argue the law, as that is the office of the court. Sometimes miswritten as iura novat curia (the court renews the laws).
iure matris in right of his mother Indicates a right exercised by a son on behalf of his mother
iure uxoris in right of his wife Indicates a right exercised by a husband on behalf of his wife
iuris ignorantia est cum ius nostrum ignoramus it is ignorance of the law when we do not know our own rights
ius accrescendi right of accrual Commonly referred to as "right of survivorship": a rule in property law that surviving joint tenants have rights in equal shares to a decedent's property
ius ad bellum law towards war Refers to the laws that regulate the reasons for going to war. Typically, this would address issues of self-defense or preemptive strikes.
ius cogens compelling law A peremptory norm, a fundamental principle of international law considered to have acceptance among the international community of states as a whole and from which no derogation is permitted.
ius est ars boni et aequi the law is the art of goodness and equity Appears on the front of the Sievekingplatz 2, a courthouse of the Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht, in Hamburg, Germany.
ius in bello law in war Refers to the "laws" that regulate the conduct of combatants during a conflict. Typically, this would address issues of who or what is a valid target, how to treat prisoners, and what sorts of weapons can be used. The word jus is also commonly spelled ius.
ius primae noctis law of the first night The droit du seigneur, supposed right of a lord to have sexual relations with a newly married female subject
iustitia fundamentum regni justice is the foundation of a reign Motto of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office of the Czech Republic.
iustitia omnibus justice for all The motto of Washington, D.C.
iuventuti nil arduum to the young nothing is difficult Motto of Canberra Girls Grammar School
iuventutis veho fortunas I bear the fortunes of youth Motto of Dollar Academy

L[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
labor ipse voluptas The pleasure is in the work itself. Motto of Peter King, 1st Baron King as mentioned within 'The Improvement of the Mind. To Which is Added, a discourse on the Education of Children and Youth' by Isaac Watts 1741.
labor omnia vincit Hard work conquers all. Popular as a motto; derived from a phrase in Virgil's Eclogue (X.69: omnia vincit Amor – "Love conquers all"); a similar phrase also occurs in his Georgics I.145.
laborare pugnare parati sumus To work, (or) to fight; we are ready Motto of the California Maritime Academy
labore et honore By labour and honour
laboremus pro patria Let us work for the fatherland Motto of the Carlsberg breweries
laboris gloria Ludi Games are the glory of work, Motto of the Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall, UK
lacrimae rerum The poignancy of things. Virgil, Aeneid 1:462
lapsus lapse, slip, error; involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking
lapsus calami inadvertent typographical error, slip of the pen  
lapsus linguae inadvertent speech error, slip of the tongue  
lapsus memoriae slip of memory source of the term memory lapse
latius est impunitum relinqui facinus nocentis (quam innocentem damnari) It is better to let the crime of the guilty go unpunished (than to condemn the innocent) Ulpian, Digest 5:6.
lauda finem praise to the end Motto of Nottingham High School
Laudatio Ejus Manet In Secula Seculorum His Praise Remains unto Ages of Ages Motto of Galway
laudator temporis acti praiser of time past One who is discontent with the present and instead prefers things of the past ("the good old days"). In Horace's Ars Poetica, line 173; motto of HMS Veteran
laudetur Jesus Christus Praise (Be) Jesus Christ Often used as a salutation, but also used after prayers or the reading of the gospel
laus Deo praise be to God Inscription on the east side at the peak of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.; motto of the Viscount of Arbuthnott and Sydney Grammar School; title of a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier commemorating the passage of the 13th Amendment
lectio brevior potior The shorter reading is the better A maxim in text criticism. Codified, but simultaneously refuted, by Johann Jakob Griesbach.
lectio difficilior potior The more difficult reading is the stronger
lectori salutem (L. S.,) greetings to the reader Often abbreviated to L.S., used as opening words for a letter
lege artis according to the law of the art Denotes that a certain intervention is performed in a correct way. Used especially in a medical context. The 'art' referred to in the phrase is medicine.
legem terrae the law of the land
leges humanae nascuntur, vivunt, et moriuntur laws of man are born, live and die
leges sine moribus vanae laws without morals [are] vain From Horace's Odes; motto of the University of Pennsylvania
legio patria nostra The Legion is our fatherland Motto of the French Foreign Legion
legi, intellexi, et condemnavi I read, understood, and condemned.
legis plenitudo charitas charity (love) is the fulfilment of the law Motto of Ratcliffe College, UK and of the Rosmini College, NZ
legitime lawfully In Roman and civil law, a forced share in an estate; the portion of the decedent's estate from which the immediate family cannot be disinherited. From the French héritier legitime (rightful heir).
levavi oculos I will lift my eyes Motto of Hollins University and Keswick School, derived from Psalm 121 (Levavi oculos meos in montes).
lex artis law of the skill The rules that regulate a professional duty.
lex dei vitae lampas the law of God is the lamp of life Motto of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
lex est quodcumque notamus the law is whatever we write down Motto of the Chamber of Notaries of Paris.[1] Also lex est quod notamus.
lex ferenda the law that should be borne The law as it ought to be.
lex hac edictali the law here proclaims The rule whereby a spouse cannot by deed inter vivos or bequeath by testament to his or her second spouse more than the amount of the smallest portion given or bequeathed to any child.
lex in casu law in the event A law that only concerns one particular case. See law of the case.
lex lata the law that has been borne The law as it is.
lex loci law of the place
lex non scripta law that has not been written Unwritten law, or common law
lex orandi, lex credendi the law of prayer is the law of faith
lex paciferat the law shall bring peace Motto of the European Gendarmerie Force
lex parsimoniae law of succinctness also known as Occam's Razor
lex rex the law [is] king A principle of government advocating a rule by law rather than by men. The phrase originated as a double entendre in the title of Samuel Rutherford's controversial book Lex, Rex (1644), which espoused a theory of limited government and constitutionalism.
lex scripta written law Statutory law; contrasted with lex non scripta
lex talionis the law of retaliation Retributive justice (i.e., eye for an eye)
libertas, justitia, veritas Liberty Justice Truth Motto of the Korea University and Freie Universität Berlin
Libertas perfundet omnia luce Freedom will flood all things with light Motto of the University of Barcelona and the Complutense University of Madrid
Libertas quae sera tamen freedom which [is] however late Liberty even when it comes late; motto of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Libertas Securitas Justitia Liberty Security Justice Motto of the Frontex
libra (lb) balance; scales Its abbreviation lb is used as a unit of weight, the pound.
lignum crucis arbor scientiae The wood of the cross is the tree of knowledge School motto of Denstone College
littera scripta manet The written word endures Attributed to Horace
loco citato (lc) in the place cited More fully written in loco citato; see also opere citato
locum tenens place holder A worker who temporarily takes the place of another with similar qualifications, for example as a doctor or a member of the clergy; usually shortened to locum.
locus classicus a classic place The most typical or classic case of something; quotation which most typifies its use.
locus minoris resistentiae place of less resistance A medical term to describe a location on or in a body that offers little resistance to infection, damage, or injury. For example, a weakened place that tends to be reinjured.
locus poenitentiae a place of repentance A legal term, it is the opportunity of withdrawing from a projected contract, before the parties are finally bound; or of abandoning the intention of committing a crime, before it has been completed.
locus standi A right to stand Standing in law (the right to have one's case in court)
longissimus dies cito conditur even the longest day soon ends Pliny the Younger, Epistulae 9/36:4
lorem ipsum A garbled version of a passage from Cicero's De finibus bonorum et malorum, widely used as a sample text for greeking (laying out text in printing before the final text is available). The original passage reads ...neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit amet consectetur adipisci velit... ("...nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain...").
luce veritatis By the light of truth School motto of Queen Margaret College
luceat lux vestra Let your light shine From Matthew Ch. 5 V. 16; popular as a school motto
lucem sequimur We follow the light Motto of the University of Exeter
luceo non uro I shine, not burn Motto of the Highland Scots Clan Mackenzie
lucida sidera The shining stars Horace, Carmina 1/3:2
luctor et emergo I struggle and emerge Motto of the Dutch province of Zeeland to denote its battle against the sea, and the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
Luctor, non mergor 'I struggle, but am not overwhelmed Motto of the Glass Family (Sauchie, Scotland)[96]
lucus a non lucendo [it is named] a "grove" because it is not lit From late 4th-century grammarian Honoratus Maurus, who sought to mock implausible word origins such as those proposed by Priscian. It is a jesting suggestion that since the word lucus (dark grove) has a similar appearance to the verb lucere (to shine), the former word is derived from the latter word because of a lack of light in wooded groves. Often used as an example of absurd etymology, it derives from parum luceat (it does not shine [being darkened by shade]) by Quintilian in Institutio Oratoria.
ludemus bene in compania We play well in groups Motto of the Barony of Marinus
lupus est homo homini A man to a man is a wolf Plautus' adaptation of an old Roman proverb: homo homini lupus est ("man is a wolf to [his fellow] man"). In Asinaria, act II, scene IV, verse 89 [495 overall]. Lupus est homo homini, non homo, quom qualis sit non novit ("a man to a man is a wolf, not a man, when the other doesn't know of what character he is.")[97]
lupus in fabula the wolf in the story With the meaning "speak of the wolf, and he will come"; from Terence's play Adelphoe.
lupus non mordet lupum a wolf does not bite a wolf
lupus non timet canem latrantem a wolf is not afraid of a barking dog
lux aeterna eternal light epitaph
lux et lex light and law Motto of the Franklin & Marshall College and the University of North Dakota
lux et veritas light and truth A translation of the Hebrew Urim and Thummim. Motto of several institutions, including Yale University.
lux ex tenebris light from darkness Motto of the 67th Network Warfare Wing
lux hominum vita light the life of man Motto of the University of New Mexico
lux in Domino light in the Lord Motto of the Ateneo de Manila University
lux in tenebris lucet The light that shines in the darkness Motto of Columbia University School of General Studies[98] Also: John 1:5.
lux libertas light and liberty Motto of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lux mentis Lux orbis Light of the mind, Light of the world Motto of Sonoma State University
lux sit let there be light A more literal Latinization of the phrase; the most common translation is fiat lux, from Latin Vulgate Bible phrase chosen for the Genesis line "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר" (And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light). Motto of the University of Washington.
lux tua nos ducat Your light guides us
lux, veritas, virtus light, truth, courage Motto of Northeastern University
lux, vita, caritas light, life, love Motto of St John's College, Johannesburg

M[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
Macte animo! Generose puer sic itur ad astra Young, cheer up! This is the way to the skies. Motto of Academia da Força Aérea (Air Force Academy) of the Brazilian Air Force
macte virtute sic itur ad astra those who excel, thus reach the stars or "excellence is the way to the stars"; frequent motto; from Virgil's Aeneid IX.641 (English, Dryden)
magister dixit the teacher has said it Canonical medieval reference to Aristotle, precluding further discussion
magister meus Christus Christ is my teacher common Catholic edict and motto of a Catholic private school, Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana
Magna Carta Great Charter Set of documents from 1215 between Pope Innocent III, King John of England, and English barons.
magna cum laude with great praise Common Latin honor, above cum laude and below summa cum laude
magna di curant, parva neglegunt The gods care about great matters, but they neglect small ones Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2:167
magna est vis consuetudinis great is the power of habit
Magna Europa est patria nostra Greater Europe is Our Fatherland Political motto of pan-Europeanists
magno cum gaudio with great joy
magnum opus great work Said of someone's masterpiece
magnum vectigal est parsimonia Economy is a great revenue Cicero, Paradoxa 6/3:49. Sometimes translated into English as "thrift (or frugality) is a great revenue (or income)", edited from its original subordinate clause: "O di immortales! non intellegunt homines, quam magnum vectigal sit parsimonia." (English: O immortal gods! Men do not understand what a great revenue is thrift.)
maior e longinquo reverentia greater reverence from afar When viewed from a distance, everything is beautiful. Tacitus, Annales 1.47
maiora premunt greater things are pressing Used to indicate that it is the moment to address more important, urgent, issues.
mala fide in bad faith Said of an act done with knowledge of its illegality, or with intention to defraud or mislead someone. Opposite of bona fide.
Mala Ipsa Nova Bad News Itself Motto of the inactive 495th Fighter Squadron, US Air Force
mala tempora currunt bad times are upon us Also used ironically, e.g.: New teachers know all tricks used by pupils to copy from classmates? Oh, mala tempora currunt!.
male captus bene detentus wrongly captured, properly detained An illegal arrest will not prejudice the subsequent detention/trial.
Malo mori quam foedari Death rather than dishonour Motto of the inactive 34th Battalion (Australia), the Drimnagh Castle Secondary School
Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietam servitutem I prefer dangerous liberty to peaceful slavery Attributed to the Count Palatine of Posen before the Polish Diet, cited in The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
malum discordiae apple of discord Alludes to the apple of Eris in the Judgement of Paris, the mythological cause of the Trojan War. It is also a pun based on the near-homonymous word malum (evil). The word for "apple" has a long ā vowel in Latin and the word for "evil" a short a vowel, but they are normally written the same.
malum in se wrong in itself A legal term meaning that something is prohibited because it is inherently wrong (cf. malum prohibitum); for example, murder.
malum prohibitum wrong due to being prohibited A legal term meaning that something is only wrong because it is against the law (cf. malum in se); for example, violating a speed limit.
mandamus we command A judicial remedy ordering a lower court, government entity, or public authority to do something (or refrain from doing something) as required by law.
malum quo communius eo peius the more common an evil is, the worse it is
manibus date lilia plenis give lilies with full hands A phrase from Virgil's Aeneid, VI.883, mourning the death of Marcellus, Augustus' nephew. Quoted by Dante as he leaves Virgil in Purgatory, XXX.21, echoed by Walt Whitman in Leaves of Grass III, 6.
manu forte literally translated means 'with a strong hand', often quoted as 'by strength of hand' Motto of the Clan McKay
manu militari with a military hand Using armed forces in order to achieve a goal
manu propria (m.p.) with one's own hand With the implication of "signed by one's hand". Its abbreviated form is sometimes used at the end of typewritten or printed documents or official notices, directly following the name of the person(s) who "signed" the document exactly in those cases where there isn't an actual handwritten signature.
manus manum lavat one hand washes the other famous quote from The Pumpkinification of Claudius, ascribed to Seneca the Younger.[99] It implies that one situation helps the other.
manus multae cor unum many hands, one heart Motto of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.
manus nigra black hand
marcet sine adversario virtus valor becomes feeble without an opponent Seneca the Younger, De Providentia 2:4. Also, translated into English as "[their] strength and courage droop without an antagonist" ("Of Providence" (1900) by Seneca, translated by Aubrey Stewart),[100] "without an adversary, prowess shrivels" (Moral Essays (1928) by Seneca, translated by John W, Basore)[101] and "prowess withers without opposition".
mare clausum closed sea In law, a sea under the jurisdiction of one nation and closed to all others.
Mare Ditat, Rosa Decorat The sea enriches, the rose adorns Motto of Montrose, Angus and HMS Montrose
mare liberum free sea In law, a sea open to international shipping navigation.
mare nostrum our sea A nickname given to the Mediterranean during the height of the Roman Empire, as it encompassed the entire coastal basin.
Mater Dei Mother of God A name given to describe Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, who is also called the Son of God.
mater familias the mother of the family The female head of a family. See pater familias.
mater lectionis mother of reading a consonant used to represent a vowel in writing systems that lack separate vowel characters, such as Hebrew and Arabic script. Translation of Hebrew: אֵם קְרִיאָה ʾem kəriʾa.
Mater semper certa est the mother is always certain A Roman law principle that the mother of a child is always known, as opposed to the father who may not be known. This principle had the power of praesumptio iuris et de iure (literally "presumption of law and by law"), meaning that no counter-evidence can be made against this principle.
materia medica medical matter Branch of medical science concerned with the study of drugs used in the treatment of disease. Also, the drugs themselves.
maxima debetur puero reverentia greatest deference is owed to the child from Juvenal's Satires XIV:47
me vexat pede it annoys me at the foot Less literally, "my foot itches". Refers to a trivial situation or person that is being a bother, possibly in the sense of wishing to kick that thing away or, such as the commonly used expressions, a "pebble in one's shoe" or "nipping at one's heels".
mea culpa through my fault Used in Christian prayers and confession to denote the inherently flawed nature of mankind; can also be extended to mea maxima culpa (through my greatest fault).
mea navis aëricumbens anguillis abundat My hovercraft is full of eels A relatively common recent Latinization inspired by the Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook sketch by Monty Python.
media vita in morte sumus In the midst of our lives we die A well-known sequence, falsely attributed to Notker during the Middle Ages. It was translated by Cranmer and became a part of the burial service in the funeral rites of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.
Mediolanum captum est Milan has been captured Used erroneously as Mediolanum Capta Est by the black metal band Mayhem as an album title. Mediolanum was an ancient city in present-day Milan, Italy.
Melius abundare quam deficere Better too much than not enough. Also used in elliptical form as melius abundare.
meliora better things Carrying the connotation of "always better". The motto of the University of Rochester.
Meliorare legem meliorare vitam est To improve the law is to improve life. The motto of the Salem/Roanoke County, Virginia Bar Association.
Meliorem lapsa locavit He has planted one better than the one fallen. The motto of the Belmont County, Ohio, and the motto in the seal of the Northwest Territory
Melita, domi adsum Honey, I'm home! A relatively common recent Latinization from the joke phrasebook Latin for All Occasions. Grammatically correct, but the phrase would be anachronistic in ancient Rome.
memento mori remember that [you will] die remember your mortality; medieval Latin based on "memento moriendum esse" in antiquity.[102]
memento vivere remember to live
meminerunt omnia amantes lovers remember all
memores acti prudentes futuri mindful of things done, aware of things to come Thus, both remembering the past and foreseeing the future. From the North Hertfordshire District Council coat of arms.
Memoriae Sacrum (M.S.) Sacred to the

Memory (of ...)

A common first line on 17th-century English church monuments. The Latinized name of the deceased follows, in the genitive case. Alternatively it may be used as a heading, the inscription following being in English, for example: "Memoriae Sacrum. Here lies the body of ..."
mens agitat molem the mind moves the mass From Virgil; motto of several educational institutions
Mens conscia recti a mind aware of what is right Motto of The College Preparatory School in Oakland, CA
mens et manus mind and hand Motto of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York Institute of Technology, and also of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
mens rea guilty mind Also "culprit mind". A term used in discussing the mindset of an accused criminal.
mens sana in corpore sano a healthy mind in a healthy body Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal (10.356); motto of many sporting clubs, military and educational institutions
metri causa for the sake of the metre Excusing flaws in poetry "for the sake of the metre"
Miles Gloriosus Glorious Soldier Or "Boastful Soldier". Miles Gloriosus is the title of a play of Plautus. A stock character in comedy, the braggart soldier. (It is said that at Salamanca, there is a wall, on which graduates inscribe their names, where Francisco Franco had a plaque installed reading "Franciscus Francus Miles Gloriosus".)
miles praesidii libertatis Soldier of the Bastion of Freedom A phrase on the plaque in commemoration of Prof. Benjamin Marius Telders, Academiegebouw Leiden [nl] (Netherlands).
mictus cruentus bloody urine see hematuria
minatur innocentibus qui parcit nocentibus he threatens the innocent who spares the guilty
minus malum toleratur ut maius tollat choose the lesser evil so a greater evil may be averted; the lesser of two evils principle[103]
mirabile dictu wonderful to tell Virgil
mirabile visu wonderful to see A Roman phrase used to describe a wonderful event/happening.
mirum videtur quod sit factum iam diu Does it seem wonderful [merely] because it was done a long time/so long ago? Livius Andronicus, Aiax Mastigophorus.
miscerique probat populos et foedera jungi He approves of the mingling of the peoples and their bonds of union Latin Aeneid of Virgil, Book IV, line 112, "he" referring to the great Roman god, who approved of the settlement of Romans in Africa. Old Motto of Trinidad and Tobago, and used in the novel A Bend in the River by V. S. Naipaul.
misera est servitus ubi jus est aut incognitum aut vagum miserable is that state of slavery in which the law is unknown or uncertain Quoted by Samuel Johnson in his paper for James Boswell on Vicious intromission.
miserabile visu terrible to see A terrible happening or event.
miseram pacem vel bello bene mutari A bad peace is even worse than war. From Tacitus' Annales, III, 44.
miserere nobis have mercy upon us A phrase within the Gloria in Excelsis Deo and the Agnus Dei, to be used at certain points in Christian religious ceremonies.
Missio Dei the Mission of God A theological phrase in the Christian religion.
missit me Dominus the Lord has sent me A phrase used by Jesus.
mittimus we send A warrant of commitment to prison, or an instruction for a jailer to hold someone in prison.
mobilis in mobili "moving in a moving thing" or, poetically, "changing through the changing medium" The motto of the Nautilus from the Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
modus operandi (M.O.) method of operating Usually used to describe a criminal's methods.
modus ponens method of placing Loosely "method of affirming", a logical rule of inference stating that from propositions if P then Q and P, then one can conclude Q.
modus tollens method of removing Loosely "method of denying", a logical rule of inference stating that from propositions if P then Q and not Q, then one can conclude not P.
modus vivendi method of living or way of life An accommodation between disagreeing parties to allow life to go on. A practical compromise.
Monasterium sine libris est sicut civitas sine opibus A monastery without books is like a city without wealth Used in the Umberto Eco novel The Name of the Rose. Part of a much larger phrase: Monasterium sine libris, est sicut civitas sine opibus, castrum sine numeris, coquina sine suppellectili, mensa sine cibis, hortus sine herbis, pratum sine floribus, arbor sine foliis. Translation: A monastery without books is like a city without wealth, a fortress without soldiers, a kitchen without utensils, a table without food, a garden without plants, a meadow without flowers, a tree without leaves.
montani semper liberi mountaineers [are] always free State motto of West Virginia, adopted in 1872; part of the coat of arms for the Colombian city of Bucaramanga.
Montis Insignia Calpe Badge of the Mons Calpe (Rock of Gibraltar) A self-referential literal identifier below the emblem
morbus virgineus Disease of the virgins or Virgin's disease Hypochromic anemia, an iron deficiency anemia common in young women[104]
more ferarum like beasts used to describe any sexual act in the manner of beasts
more suo in his/her/its/their usual way
morior invictus I die unvanquished[105] sometimes also translated as "death before defeat"[105]
morituri nolumus mori we who are about to die don't want to From Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero, an effective parody on Morituri te salutamus/salutant
morituri te salutant those who are about to die salute you Used once in Suetonius' De Vita Caesarum 5, (Divus Claudius), chapter 21,[106] by the condemned prisoners manning galleys about to take part in a mock naval battle on Lake Fucinus in AD 52. Popular misconception ascribes it as a gladiator's salute. See also: Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant and Naumachia.
mors certa, hora incerta death is certain, its hour is uncertain
mors mihi lucrum death to me is reward A common epitaph, from St Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, 1:21 (Mihi enim vivere Christus est et mori lucrum, translated in the King James Bible as: "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain")
mors omnibus death to all Signifies anger and depression.
mors tua, vita mea your death, my life From medieval Latin, it indicates that battle for survival, where your defeat is necessary for my victory, survival.
mors vincit omnia "death conquers all" or "death always wins" An axiom often found on headstones.
morte magis metuenda senectus old age should rather be feared than death from Juvenal in his Satires
mortui vivos docent The dead teach the living Used to justify dissections of human cadavers in order to understand the cause of death.
mortuum flagellas you are flogging a dead (man) From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) [better known as Erasmus] collection of annotated Adagia (1508). Criticising one who will not be affected in any way by the criticism.
mos maiorum the custom of our ancestors an unwritten code of laws and conduct, of the Romans. It institutionalized cultural traditions, societal mores, and general policies, as distinct from written laws.
motu proprio on his own initiative Or "by his own accord." Identifies a class of papal documents, administrative papal bulls.
mulgere hircum to milk a male goat From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) [better known as Erasmus] collection of annotated Adagia (1508). Attempting the impossible.
mulier est hominis confusio woman is man's ruin "Part of a comic definition of woman" from the Altercatio Hadriani Augusti et Secundi.[107] Famously quoted by Chauntecleer in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
multa paucis Say much in few words
multis e gentibus vires from many peoples, strength Motto of Saskatchewan
multitudo sapientium sanitas orbis a multitude of the wise is the health of the world From the Vulgate, Wisdom of Solomon 6:24. Motto of the University of Victoria.
multum in parvo much in little Conciseness. The term "mipmap" is formed using the phrase's abbreviation "MIP"; motto of Rutland, a county in central England.
Latin phrases are often multum in parvo, conveying much in few words.
mundus senescit the world grows old
mundus vult decipi the world wants to be deceived Ascribed to Roman satirist Petronius. Also in Augustine of Hippo's De Civitate Dei contra Paganos (5th century AD), Sebastian Franck's Paradoxa Ducenta Octoginta (1542), and in James Branch Cabell's 1921 novel Figures of Earth.[108][109][110][111]
mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur the world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived Ascribed to Roman satirist Petronius. Also in Augustine of Hippo's De Civitate Dei contra Paganos (5th century AD) as "si mundus vult decipi, decipiatur" ("if the world will be gulled, let it be gulled"), and only the first part, "mundus vult decipi" ("the world wants to be deceived"), in Sebastian Franck's Paradoxa Ducenta Octoginta (1542) and in James Branch Cabell's Figures of Earth (1921).[108][109][110][111]
munit haec et altera vincit this one defends and the other one conquers Motto of Nova Scotia.
mutata lex non perit the law that does not evolve dies Motto of Seneca the Younger
mutatis mutandis after changing what needed to be changed "with the appropriate changes"
mutato nomine de te fabula narratur change but the name, and the story is told of yourself Horace, Satires, I. 1. 69. Preceded by Quid rides? ("Why do you laugh?"; see Quid rides).

N[edit]

Latin Translation Notes
nanos gigantum humeris insidentes Dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants First recorded by John of Salisbury in the twelfth century and attributed to Bernard of Chartres. Also commonly known by the letters of Isaac Newton: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants".
nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet As we are born we die, and our end hangs from our beginning
nasciturus pro iam nato habetur, quotiens de commodis eius agitur The unborn is deemed to have been born to the extent that his own inheritance is concerned Refers to a situation where an unborn child is deemed to be entitled to certain inheritance rights.
natura abhorret a vacuo nature abhors vacuum Pseudo-explanation for why a liquid will climb up a tube to fill a vacuum, often given before the discovery of atmospheric pressure.
natura artis magistra Nature is the teacher of art The name of the zoo in the centre of Amsterdam; short: "Artis".
natura nihil frustra facit nature does nothing in vain Cf. Aristotle: "οὐθὲν γάρ, ὡς φαμέν, μάτην ἡ φύσις ποιεῖ" (Politics I 2, 1253a9) and Leucippus: "Everything that happens does so for a reason and of necessity."
natura non contristatur nature is not saddened That is, the natural world is not sentimental or compassionate. Derived by Arthur Schopenhauer from an earlier source.
natura non facit saltum ita nec lex nature does not make a leap, thus neither does the law Shortened form of "sicut natura nil facit per saltum ita nec lex" (just as nature does nothing by a leap, so neither does the law), referring to both nature and the legal system moving gradually.
natura non facit saltus nature makes no leaps A famous aphorism of Carl Linnaeus stating that all organisms bear relationships on all sides, their forms changing gradually from one species to the next. From Philosophia Botanica (1751).
natura valde simplex est et sibi consona Nature is exceedingly simple and harmonious with itself Sir Isaac Newton's famous quote, defining foundation of all modern sciences. Can be found in his Unpublished Scientific Papers of Isaac Newton: A selection from the Portsmouth Collection in the University Library, Cambridge, 1978 edition[112]
naturalia non sunt turpia What is natural is not dirty Based on Servius' commentary on Virgil's Georgics (3:96): "turpis non est quia per naturam venit."
naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret. You may drive out Nature with a pitchfork, yet she still will hurry back You must take the basic nature of something into account.
Horace, Epistles, Book I, epistle X, line 24.
navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse to sail is necessary; to live is not necessary Attributed by Plutarch to Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, who, during a severe storm, commanded sailors to bring food from Africa to Rome. Translated from Plutarch's Greek "πλεῖν ἀνάγκη, ζῆν οὐκ ἀνάγκη".
ne plus ultra nothing more beyond Also nec plus ultra or non plus ultra. A descriptive phrase meaning the most extreme point, or the best form, of something. Most notably the Pillars of Hercules were in the geographic sense the nec plus ultra of the ancient Mediterranean world, before the discovery of the Americas. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V's heraldic emblem contradicted this postulate, using an amended version of the phrase inscribed on two pillars – as plus ultra ("more (lies) beyond"), without the negation, referring to the on-going Spanish colonization of the recently discovered Americas, which lay beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Non plus ultra is the motto of the Spanish exclave of Melilla, situated on a Mediterranean cape 230 km east of the original southern Pillar of Hercules. The Boston Musical Instrument Company engraved ne plus ultra on its instruments from 1869 to 1928 to signify that none were better.
ne puero gladium do not give a sword to a boy Never give dangerous tools to someone who is untrained to use them or too immature to understand the damage they can do.
ne supra crepidam sutor iudicaret a shoemaker should not judge beyond the shoe see Sutor, ne ultra crepidam
ne te quaesiveris extra do not seek outside yourself line from the Roman satirist Persius inscribed on the boulder to the right of Sir John Suckling in the painting of the aforementioned subject by Sir Anthony van Dyck (ca. 1638) and invoked by Ralph Waldo Emerson at the opening of his essay Self-Reliance (1841)
Nec aspera terrent They are not terrified of the rough things They are not afraid of difficulties. Less literally "Difficulties be damned." Motto for 27th Infantry Regiment (United States) and the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. Nec = not; aspera = rough ones/things; terrent = they terrify / do terrify / are terrifying.
Nec deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus (inciderit) That a god not intervene, unless a knot show up that be worthy of such an untangler "When the miraculous power of God is necessary, let it be resorted to: when it is not necessary, let the ordinary means be used." From Horace's Ars Poetica as a caution against deus ex machina.
nec dextrorsum, nec sinistrorsum Neither to the right nor to the left Do not get distracted. Motto for Bishop Cotton Boys' School and the Bishop Cotton Girls' School, both located in Bangalore, India.
nec spe, nec metu without hope, without fear
nec tamen consumebatur and yet it was not consumed Refers to the Burning Bush of Exodus 3:2. Motto of many Presbyterian churches throughout the world.
nec temere, nec timide neither reckless nor timid Motto of the Dutch 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade and the city of Gdańsk, Poland
nec vi, nec clam, nec precario Without permission, without secrecy, without interruption The law of adverse possession
neca eos omnes, Deus suos agnoscet kill them all, God will know his own alternate rendition of Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius. by Arnaud Amalric
necesse est aut imiteris aut oderis you must either imitate or loathe the world Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 7:7
necesse est credere unam tantum esse potentiam absolutam It is necessary to believe that there is only one absolute power
necessitas etiam timidos fortes facit need makes even the timid brave Sallust, The Conspiracy of Catiline, 58:19
nemine contradicente (nem. con., N.C.D.) with no one speaking against Less literally, "without dissent". Used especially in committees, where a matter may be passed nem. con., or unanimously, or with unanimous consent.
nemini parco I spare no one. Death reminding mankind we all have the same fate; found in the Middle Ages engraved in death's scythe
nemo contra Deum nisi Deus ipse No one against God except God himself From Goethe's autobiography From my Life: Poetry and Truth, p. 598
nemo dat quod non habet no one gives what he does not have Thus, "none can pass better title than they have"
nemo est supra legem nobody is above the law; or nemo est supra leges, nobody is above the laws
Nemo igitur vir magnus sine aliquo adflatu divino umquam fuit No great man ever existed who did not enjoy some portion of divine inspiration From Cicero's De Natura Deorum, Book 2, chapter LXVI, 167[113]
nemo iudex in causa sua no man shall be a judge in his own cause Legal principle that no individual can preside over a hearing in which he holds a specific interest or bias
nemo malus felix peace visits not the guilty mind Also translated to "no rest for the wicked." Refers to the inherent psychological issues that plague bad/guilty people.
nemo me impune lacessit No one provokes me with impunity Motto of the Order of the Thistle, and consequently of Scotland, found stamped on the milled edge of certain British pound sterling coins. It is the motto of the Montressors in the Edgar Allan Poe short story "The Cask of Amontillado". Motto of the San Beda College Beta Sigma Fraternity.
nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit No mortal is wise at all times The wisest may make mistakes.
nemo nisi per amicitiam cognoscitur No one learns except by friendship Used to imply that one must like a subject in order to study it.
nemo propheta in patria (sua) no man is a prophet in his own land Concept present in all four Gospels (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24; John 4:44).
nemo saltat sobrius Nobody dances sober The short and more common form of Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit, "Nobody dances sober, unless he happens to be insane," a quote from Cicero (from the speech Pro Murena).
nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare no one is bound to accuse himself (the right to silence) A maxim banning mandatory self-incrimination. Near-synonymous with accusare nemo se debet nisi coram Deo. Similar phrases include: nemo tenetur armare adversarium contra se (no one is bound to arm an opponent against himself), meaning that a defendant is not obligated to in any way assist the prosecutor to his own detriment; nemo tenetur edere instrumenta contra se (no one is bound to produce documents against himself, meaning that a defendant is not obligated to provide materials to be used against himself (this is true in Roman law and has survived in modern criminal law, but no longer applies in modern civil law); and nemo tenere prodere se ipsum (no one is bound to betray himself), meaning that a defendant is not obligated to testify against himself.
neque semper arcum tendit Apollo nor does Apollo always keep his bow drawn Horace, Carmina 2/10:19-20. The same image appears in a fable of Phaedrus.
Ne quid nimis Nothing in excess
nervos belli, pecuniam infinitam Endless money forms the sinews of war In war, it is essential to be able to purchase supplies and to pay troops (as Napoleon put it, "An army marches on its stomach").
nihil ad rem nothing to do with the point That is, in law, irrelevant and/or inconsequential.
nihil boni sine labore nothing achieved without hard work Motto of Palmerston North Boys' High School
nihil dicit he says nothing In law, a declination by a defendant to answer charges or put in a plea.
nihil enim lacrima citius arescit nothing dries sooner than a tear Pseudo-Cicero, Ad Herrenium, 2/31:50
nihil humanum mihi alienum nothing human is alien to me Adapted from Terence's Heauton Timorumenos (The Self-Tormentor), homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto ("I am a human being; nothing human is strange to me"). Sometimes ending in est.
nihil in intellectu nisi prius in sensu nothing in the intellect unless first in sense The guiding principle of empiricism, and accepted in some form by Aristotle, Aquinas, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Leibniz, however, added nisi intellectus ipse (except the intellect itself).
nihil nimis nothing too Or nothing to excess. Latin translation of the inscription of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.
nihil novi nothing of the new Or just "nothing new". The phrase exists in two versions: as nihil novi sub sole (nothing new under the sun), from the Vulgate, and as nihil novi nisi commune consensu (nothing new unless by the common consensus), a 1505 law of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and one of the cornerstones of its Golden Liberty.
nihil obstat nothing prevents A notation, usually on a title page, indicating that a Roman Catholic censor has reviewed the book and found nothing objectionable to faith or morals in its content. See also imprimatur.
nihil sine Deo nothing without God Motto of the Kingdom of Romania, while ruled by the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty (1878–1947).
nihil ultra nothing beyond Motto of St. Xavier's College, Calcutta
nil admirari be surprised at nothing Or "nihil admirari". Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes (3,30), Horace, Epistulae (1,6,1), and Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, (8,5). Motto of the Fitzgibbon family. See John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare
nil desperandum nothing must be despaired at That is, "never despair".
nil igitur fieri de nilo posse fatendumst nothing, therefore, we must confess, can be made from nothing From Lucretius' De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things), I.205
Nil igitur mors est ad nos Death, therefore, is nothing to us From Lucretius' De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things), III.831
nil mortalibus ardui est nothing is impossible for humankind From Horace's Odes. Motto of Rathkeale College, New Zealand and Brunts School, England.
nil nisi bonum (about the dead say) nothing unless (it is) good Short for nil nisi bonum de mortuis dicere. That is, "Don't speak ill of anyone who has died". Also Nil magnum nisi bonum (nothing is great unless good), motto of St Catherine's School, Toorak, Pennant Hills High School and Petit Seminaire Higher Secondary School.
nil nisi malis terrori no terror, except to the bad Motto of The King's School, Macclesfield
nil per os, rarely non per os (n.p.o.) nothing through the mouth Medical shorthand indicating that oral foods and fluids should be withheld from the patient.
nil satis nisi optimum nothing [is] enough unless [it is] the best Motto of Everton F.C., residents of Goodison Park, Liverpool.
nil sine labore nothing without labour Motto of many schools
nil sine numine nothing without the divine will Or "nothing without providence". State motto of Colorado, adopted in 1861. Probably derived from Virgil's Aeneid Book II, line 777, "non haec sine numine divum eveniunt" (these things do not come to pass without the will of Heaven). See also numen.
nil volentibus arduum Nothing [is] arduous for the willing Nothing is impossible for the willing
nisi unless A decree nisi is a court order (often for divorce) that will come into force on a certain date "unless" cause is shown why it should not.
nisi Dominus frustra if not the Lord, [it is] in vain That is, "everything is in vain without God". Summarized from Psalm 127 (126 Vulgate), nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem frustra vigilavit qui custodit (unless the Lord builds the house, they work on a useless thing who build it; unless the Lord guards the community, he keeps watch in vain who guards it); widely used motto.
nisi paria non pugnant it takes two to make a fight Irascetur aliquis: tu contra beneficiis prouoca; cadit statim simultas ab altera parte deserta; nisi paria non pugnant. (If any one is angry with you, meet his anger by returning benefits for it: a quarrel which is only taken up on one side falls to the ground: it takes two men to fight.) Seneca the Younger, De Ira (On Anger): Book 2, cap. 34, line 5.
nisi prius unless previously In England, a direction that a case be brought up to Westminster for trial before a single judge and jury. In the United States, a court where civil actions are tried by a single judge sitting with a jury, as distinguished from an appellate court.
nitimur in vetitum We strive for the forbidden From Ovid's Amores, III.4:17. It means that when we are denied of something, we will eagerly pursue the denied thing. Used by Friedrich Nietzsche in his Ecce Homo to indicate that his philosophy pursues what is forbidden to other philosophers.
nobis bene, nemini male Good for us, Bad for no one Inscription on the old Nobistor [de] gatepost that divided Altona and St. Pauli
nolens volens unwilling, willing That is, "whether unwillingly or willingly". Sometimes rendered volens nolens, aut nolens aut volens or nolentis volentis. Similar to willy-nilly, though that word is derived from Old English will-he nil-he ([whether] he will or [whether] he will not).
noli me tangere do not touch me Commonly translated "touch me not". According to the Gospel of John, this was said by Jesus to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection.
noli turbare circulos meos Do not disturb my circles! That is, "Don't upset my calculations!" Said by Archimedes to a Roman soldier who, despite having been given orders not to, killed Archimedes at the conquest of Syracuse, Sicily.
nolle prosequi to be unwilling to prosecute A legal motion by a prosecutor or other plaintiff to drop legal charges, usually in exchange for a diversion program or out-of-court settlement.
nolo contendere I do not wish to contend That is, "no contest". A plea that can be entered on behalf of a defendant in a court that states that the accused doesn't admit guilt, but will accept punishment for a crime. Nolo contendere pleas cannot be used as evidence in another trial.
nomen amicitiae sic, quatenus expedit, haeret the name of friendship lasts just so long as it is profitable Petronius, Satyricon, 80.
nomen dubium doubtful name A scientific name of unknown or doubtful application.
nomen est omen the name is a sign Thus, "true to its name".
nomen nescio (N.N.) I do not know the name Thus, the name or person in question is unknown.
nomen mysticum mystic name secret members' name in some organizations[114]
nomen nudum naked name A purported scientific name that does not fulfill the proper formal criteria and therefore cannot be used unless it is subsequently proposed correctly.
non Angli sed angeli, si forent Christiani They are not Angles, but angels, if they were Christian A pun, ascribed (in a different wording) by Bede to Pope Gregory I, said to have been uttered by the latter on seeing pale-skinned Angle children at a slave market.
non auro, sed ferro, recuperanda est patria Not with gold, but with iron must the fatherland be reclaimed According to some Roman this sentence was said by Marcus Furius Camillus to Brennus, the chief of the Gauls, after he demanded more gold from the citizens of the recently sacked Rome in 390 BC.
non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro liberty is not well sold for all the gold Motto of Republic of Ragusa, inscribed over the gates of St. Lawrence Fortress. From Gualterus Anglicus's version of Aesop's fable "The Dog and the Wolf".
non bis in idem not twice in the same thing A legal principle forbidding double jeopardy.
non canimus surdis, respondent omnia silvae we sing not to the deaf; the trees echo every word Virgil, Eclogues 10:8
non causa pro causa not the cause for the cause Also known as the "questionable cause" or "false cause". Refers to any logical fallacy where a cause is incorrectly identified.
non compos mentis not in control of the mind See compos mentis. Also rendered non compos sui (not in control of himself). Samuel Johnson theorized that the word nincompoop may derive from this phrase.
non constat it is not certain Used to explain scientific phenomena and religious advocations, for example in medieval history, for rulers to issue a 'Non Constat' decree, banning the worship of a holy figure. In legal context, occasionally a backing for nulling information that was presented by an attorney. Without any tangible proof, Non constat information is difficult to argue for.
non ducor, duco I am not led; I lead Motto of São Paulo city, Brazil. See also pro Brasilia fiant eximia.
non est factum it is not [my] deed a doctrine in contract law that allows a signing party to escape performance of the agreement. A claim of "non est factum" means that the signature on the contract was signed by mistake, without knowledge of its meaning, but was not done so negligently. A successful plea would make the contract void ab initio.
non est princeps super leges, sed leges supra principem the prince is not above the laws, but the law is above the prince. Pliny the Younger, Panegyricus 65:1.
non extinguetur shall not be extinguished Motto of the Society of Antiquaries of London accompanying their Lamp of knowledge emblem
non facias malum ut inde fiat bonum you should not make evil in order that good may be made from it More simply, "don't do wrong to do right". The direct opposite of the phrase "the ends justify the means".
non hos quaesitum munus in usus A gift sought for no such purpose Virgil, Aeneid, 4:647, of the sword with which Dido will commit suicide. "Not for so dire an enterprise design’d." (Dryden trans.; 1697)[115] "A gift asked for no use like this." (Mackail trans.; 1885).[116] "Ne'er given for an end so dire." (Taylor trans.; 1907)[117] "A gift not asked for use like this!" (Williams trans.; 1910).[118] Quoted by Francis Bacon of the civil law, "not made for the countries it governeth".
non impediti ratione cogitationis unencumbered by the thought process motto of radio show Car Talk
non in legendo sed in intelligendo leges consistunt the laws depend not on being read, but on being understood
non licet omnibus adire Corinthum not everyone can go to Corinth The legendary pleasures of Corinth were also quite expensive. Used to refer to anything that not everyone can afford or have the chance to do.
non liquet it is not proven Also "it is not clear" or "it is not evident". A sometimes controversial decision handed down by a judge when they feel that the law is not complete.
non loqui sed facere not talk but action Motto of the University of Western Australia's Engineering faculty student society.
non mihi solum not for myself alone Motto of Anderson Junior College, Singapore.
non ministrari sed ministrare not to be served, but to serve Motto of Wellesley College and Shimer College (from Matthew 20:28 in the Vulgate).
non multa sed multum not quantity but quality Motto of the Daniel Pearl Magnet High School.
non nisi parendo vincitur [Nature] cannot be conquered except by being obeyed From Francis Bacon's Cogitata et visa.
Non nobis Domine Not to us (oh) Lord Christian hymn based on Psalm 115.
non nobis nati 'Born not for ourselves' Motto of St Albans School (Hertfordshire)
non nobis solum not for ourselves alone Appears in Cicero's De Officiis Book 1:22 in the form non nobis solum nati sumus (we are not born for ourselves alone). Motto of Lower Canada College, Montreal and University College, Durham University, and Willamette University.
non numerantur, sed ponderantur they are not counted, but weighed Old saying. Paul Erdős (1913–1996), in The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman[119]
non obstante veredicto not standing in the way of a verdict A judgment notwithstanding verdict, a legal motion asking the court to reverse the jury's verdict on the grounds that the jury could not have reached such a verdict reasonably.
non olet it doesn't smell See pecunia non olet.
non omnia possumus omnest not everyone can do everything Virgil, Eclogues 8:63 (and others).
non omnis moriar I shall not all die Horace, Carmina 3/30:6. "Not all of me will die", a phrase expressing the belief that a part of the speaker will survive beyond death.
non plus ultra nothing further beyond the ultimate. See also 'ne plus ultra'
non possumus we cannot
non possunt primi esse omnes omni in tempore not everyone can occupy the first rank forever (It is impossible always to excel) Decimus Laberius.
non progredi est regredi to not go forward is to go backward
non prosequitur he does not proceed A judgment in favor of a defendant when the plaintiff failed to take the necessary steps in an action within the time allowed.
non qui parum habet, sed qui plus cupit, pauper est It is not he who has little, but he who wants more, who is the pauper. Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 2:6.
non quis sed quid not who but what Used in the sense "what matters is not who says it but what he says" – a warning against ad hominem arguments; frequently used as motto, including that of Southwestern University.
non satis scire to know is not enough Motto of Hampshire College
non scholae sed vitae [We learn] not for school but for life An inversion of non vitae sed scholae now used as a school motto
non sequitur it does not follow In general, a comment which is absurd due to not making sense in its context (rather than due to being inherently nonsensical or internally inconsistent), often used in humor. As a logical fallacy, a conclusion that does not follow from a premise.
non serviam I will not serve Possibly derived from a Vulgate mistranslation of the Book of Jeremiah. Commonly used in literature as Satan's statement of disobedience to God, though in the original context the quote is attributed to Israel, not Satan.
non sibi Not for self A slogan used by many schools and universities.
non sibi, sed patriae Not for self, but for country Engraved on the doors of the United States Naval Academy chapel; motto of the USS Halyburton (FFG-40).
non sibi, sed suis Not for one's self but for one's own A slogan used by many schools and universities.
non sibi, sed omnibus Not for one's self but for all A slogan used by many schools and universities.
non sic dormit, sed vigilat Sleeps not but is awake Martin Luther on mortality of the soul.
non silba, sed anthar; Deo vindice Not for self, but for others; God will vindicate A slogan used by the Ku Klux Klan. Note that this is not accurate Latin but rather a mixture of Latin and Gothic[120]

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