List of Latin phrases (full)

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:

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 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.

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.^[37]
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;^[38] 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". Also used as an adjective: "The court found that the alleged conduct was de minimis."
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 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.^[39]
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 rex	By the Grace of God, King	Also Dei gratia regina ("By the Grace of God, Queen"). Abbreviated as D G REX on British and 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 Dante Dedi	God having given I gave	Motto of Charterhouse School.
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 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.^[40]
dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet	He has half the deed done, who has made a beginning.^[41]	From the second letter by Horace in his First Book of Letters: Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet; sapere aude, incipe. [... dare to know, begin].^[42]
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
doli capax	capable of guilt	person's ability to commit a wrongful act with the knowledge that it is wrong; cf. doli incapax.
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)^[43]
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.^[44]
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^[45]	An encouragement to embrace life."^[46] Emily Dickinson used the line in a whimsical valentine written to William Howland in 1852 and subsequently published in the Springfield Daily Republican:^[47]
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.^[48]
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.

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^[49]
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 Jesus, 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 sum	I am	Phrase from the Gospel of John as a title of Jesus (based on the Koine Greek term ἐγώ εἰμι Ego eimi)
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
epicuri de grege porcum	A pig from the herd (or sty) of Epicurus	From Horace, Epistles
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.^[50] 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.^[51] 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.^[52] 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.^[53] 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 / I [am/exist] even in Arcadia	Phrased from the perspective of the personification of death to indicate death's reality under even the most blissful of circumstances, associated in classical times with the then-pastoral Arcadia region of the Peloponnese in Greece; see also memento mori; also the name of paintings and TV episodes – see Et in Arcadia ego (disambiguation).
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, 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".^[54] 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^[55]), 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 debito Justitia	justice, which cannot be denied	on King's writ, to be granted to the subject^[56]
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 merito Justitiae ^[56]	from merit, justice / justice from merit	The measure of justice is from the merit of the deed.
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.^[57]
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".^[58]
ex proprio vigore	on its own	legal phrase^[59]; also in Insular Cases and elsewhere with the 'ex'.
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 example, for the sake of example	"For example" or "for the sake of example".^[60] The abbreviation "e.g." is often interpreted (Anglicised) as "example given".^[61] The plural exemplōrum gratiā to refer to multiple examples, separated by commas, is now not in frequent use.
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.^[62] The term has also been used in gastroenterology.^[63] 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

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
Fatetur facinus qui judicium fugit	He who flies from justice acknowledges himself a criminal.	Under such circumstances the presumption is one of guilt.^[64]
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".^[65]
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".^[66] Later, found in Henry Baerlein's introduction to his translation of The Diwan of Abul ʿAla by Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri (973–1057);^[67] 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.^[68]
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^[69]
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^[70]^[71]
fiat iustitia et pereat mundus	let justice be done, even if the world should perish	motto of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
fiat justitia ruat caelum	let justice be done, even if the sky should 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	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; motto of Archbishop Richard Smith of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton.
ficta voluptatis causa sint proxima veris	fictions meant to please should approximate the truth	Horace, Ars Poetica (338)
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.
fide et virtute	by fidelity and valor	motto of Kingswood College, Kandy
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^[72]
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

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^[73]
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.;^[74] expanded in the Middle Ages

List of Latin phrases (full)

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References

Wikiwand - on

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.^[75]^[76]
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^[77] 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, act 1, line 126.^[78] 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 (Epistulae 1.XIX:41).^[79]
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)^[80] 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^[81]	a man without money is the image of death
Homo sum, humani nihil a me 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

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
maior singulis minor universis		(the prince, king, pope) is more than the individual, but less than their totality^[95]
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.
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.^[96] 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),^[97] "without an adversary, prowess shrivels" (Moral Essays (1928) by Seneca, translated by John W, Basore)^[98] 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.

Latin	Translation	Notes
O Deus ego amo te	O God I Love You	attributed to Saint Francis Xavier
O fortunatos nimium sua si bona norint, agricolas	The farmers would count themselves lucky, if only they knew how good they had it	from Virgil in Georgics II, 458
o homines ad servitutem paratos	Men ready to be slaves!	attributed (in Tacitus, Annales, III, 65) to the Roman Emperor Tiberius, in disgust at the servile attitude of Roman senators; said of those who should be leaders but instead slavishly follow the lead of others
O tempora, o mores!	Oh, the times! Oh, the morals!	also translated "What times! What customs!"; from Cicero, Catilina I, 2
O Tite tute Tati tibi tanta tyranne tulisti	O tyrant Titus Tatius, what terrible calamities you brought onto yourself!	from Quintus Ennius, Annales (104), considered an example of a Latin tongue-twister
Obedientia civium urbis felicitas	The obedience of the citizens makes us a happy city	Motto of Dublin
obiit (ob.)	one died	"He/she died", inscription on gravestones; ob. also sometimes stands for obiter (in passing or incidentally)
obit anis, abit onus	The old woman dies, the burden is lifted	Arthur Schopenhauer
obit caeleps	Ob. Cael. or died a bachelor (implying no legitimate offspring ever existed to inherit, cf. d.s.p., d.s.p.s. and d.s.p.m.)	Heraldic visitation or County Visitation Books for England
obiter dictum	a thing said in passing	in law, an observation by a judge on some point of law not directly relevant to the case before him, and thus neither requiring his decision nor serving as a precedent, but nevertheless of persuasive authority. In general, any comment, remark or observation made in passing
obliti privatorum, publica curate	Forget private affairs, take care of public ones	Roman political saying which reminds that common good should be given priority over private matters for any person having a responsibility in the State
obscuris vera involvens	the truth being enveloped by obscure things	from Virgil
obscurum per obscurius	the obscure by means of the more obscure	An explanation that is less clear than what it tries to explain; synonymous with ignotum per ignotius
obtineo et teneo	to obtain and to keep	motto
obtorto collo	with a twisted neck	unwillingly
oculus dexter (O.D.)	right eye	Ophthalmologist shorthand
oculus sinister (O.S.)	left eye
oderint dum metuant	let them hate, so long as they fear	favorite saying of Caligula, attributed originally to Lucius Accius, Roman tragic poet (170 BC)
odi et amo	I hate and I love	opening of Catullus 85; the entire poem reads, "odi et amo quare id faciam fortasse requiris / nescio sed fieri sentio et excrucior" (I hate and I love. Why do I do this, you perhaps ask. / I do not know, but I feel it happening to me and I am burning up.)
odi profanum vulgus et arceo	I hate the unholy rabble and keep them away	Horace, Carmina III, 1
odium theologicum	theological hatred	name for the special hatred generated in theological disputes
oleum camino	(pour) oil on the fire	from Erasmus' (1466–1536) collection of annotated Adagia
omne ignotum pro magnifico	every unknown thing [is taken] for great	or "everything unknown appears magnificent" The source is Tacitus: Agricola, Book 1, 30 where the sentence ends with 'est'. The quotation is found in Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short story "The Red-Headed League" (1891) where the 'est' is missing.
omne initium difficile est	every beginning is difficult
omne vivum ex ovo	every living thing is from an egg	foundational concept of modern biology, opposing the theory of spontaneous generation
Omnes homines sunt asini vel homines et asini sunt asini	All men are donkeys or men and donkeys are donkeys	a sophisma proposed and solved by Albert of Saxony (philosopher)
omnes vulnerant, postuma necat, or, omnes feriunt, ultima necat	all [the hours] wound, last one kills	usual in clocks, reminding the reader of death
omnia cum deo	all with God	motto for Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Lilydale, Victoria, Australia
omnia dicta fortiora si dicta Latina	everything said [is] stronger if said in Latin	or "everything sounds more impressive when said in Latin"; a more common phrase with the same meaning is quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur (whatever said in Latin, seems profound)
omnia in mensura et numero et pondere disposuisti	Thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.	Book of Wisdom, 11:21
Omnia mea mecum porto	All that is mine I carry with me	is a quote that Cicero ascribes to Bias of Priene
omnia mutantur, nihil interit	everything changes, nothing perishes	Ovid (43 BC – 17 AD), Metamorphoses, book XV, line 165
omnia omnibus	all things to all men	1 Corinthians 9:22
si omnia ficta	if all (the words of poets) is fiction	Ovid, Metamorphoses, book XIII, lines 733–4: "si non omnia vates ficta"
omnia vincit amor	love conquers all	Virgil (70 BC – 19 BC), Eclogue X, line 69
omnia munda mundis	everything [is] pure to the pure [men]	from The New Testament
omnia praesumuntur legitime facta donec probetur in contrarium	all things are presumed to be lawfully done, until it is shown [to be] in the reverse	in other words, "innocent until proven guilty"
omnia sponte fluant absit violentia rebus	everything should flow by itself, force should be absent	"let it go"
omnia sunt communia	all things shall be held in common	from Acts of the Apostles
omnis vir enim sui	Every man for himself!

Latin	Translation	Notes
qua definitione	by virtue of definition	Thus: "by definition"; variant of per definitionem; sometimes used in German-speaking countries. Occasionally misrendered as "qua definitionem".
qua patet orbis	as far as the world extends	Motto of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
quae cum ita sint	these things being the case	Or, "since these things are the case" or "Since things are this way". Cicero.
quae non posuisti, ne tollas	do not take away what you did not put in place	Plato, Laws
quae non prosunt singula multa iuvant	what alone is not useful helps when accumulated	Ovid, Remedia amoris
quaecumque sunt vera	whatsoever is true	frequently used as motto; taken from Philippians 4:8 of the Bible
quaecumque vera doce me	teach me whatsoever is true	motto of St. Joseph's College, Edmonton at the University of Alberta
quaere	to seek	Or "you might ask..." Used to suggest doubt or to ask one to consider whether something is correct. Often introduces rhetorical or tangential questions.
quaerite primum regnum Dei	seek ye first the kingdom of God	Also quaerite primo regnum dei; frequently used as motto (e.g. Newfoundland and Labrador)
qualis artifex pereo	As what kind of artist do I perish?	Or "What a craftsman dies in me!" Attributed to Nero in Suetonius' De vita Caesarum
Qualitas potentia nostra	Quality is our might	motto of Finnish Air Force
quam bene non quantum	how well, not how much	motto of Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada
quam bene vivas referre (or refert), non quam diu	it is how well you live that matters, not how long	Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium CI (101)
quamdiu (se) bene gesserit	as long as he shall have behaved well (legal Latin)	I.e., "[while on] good behavior." So for example the Act of Settlement 1701 stipulated that judges' commissions are valid quamdiu se bene gesserint (during good behaviour). (Notice the different singular, "gesserit", and plural, "gesserint", forms.) It was from this phrase that Frank Herbert extracted the name for the Bene Gesserit sisterhood in the Dune novels.
quantocius quantotius	the sooner, the better	or, as quickly as possible
quantum libet (q.l.)	as much as pleases	medical shorthand for "as much as you wish"
quantum sufficit (qs)	as much as is enough	medical shorthand for "as much as needed" or "as much as will suffice"
quaque hora (qh)	every hour	medical shorthand; also quaque die (qd), "every day", quaque mane (qm), "every morning", and quaque nocte (qn), "every night"
quare clausum fregit	wherefore he broke the close	An action of trespass; thus called, by reason the writ demands the person summoned to answer to wherefore he broke the close (quare clausum fregit), i.e. why he committed such a trespass.
quater in die (qid)	four times a day	medical shorthand
quem deus vult perdere, dementat prius	Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad
quem di diligunt adulescens moritur	he whom the gods love dies young	Other translations of diligunt include "prize especially" or "esteem". From Plautus, Bacchides, IV, 7, 18. In this comic play, a sarcastic servant says this to his aging master. The rest of the sentence reads: dum valet sentit sapit ("while he is healthy, perceptive and wise").
questio quid iuris	I ask what law?	from the Summoner's section of Chaucer's General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, line 648
qui audet adipiscitur	Who Dares Wins	The motto of the SAS, of the British Army
qui bene cantat bis orat	he who sings well praises twice	from St. Augustine of Hippo's commentary on Psalm 73, verse 1: Qui enim cantat laudem, non solum laudat, sed etiam hilariter laudat ("He who sings praises, not only praises, but praises joyfully")
qui bono	who with good	common misspelling of the Latin phrase cui bono ("who benefits?")
qui docet in doctrina	he that teacheth, on teaching	Motto of the University of Chester. A less literal translation is "Let those who teach, teach" or "Let the teacher teach".
qui gladio ferit gladio perit	He who strikes a sword dies by the sword	Or "live by the sword, die by the sword"; derived from Jesus's words in the garden of Gethsemane in the Gospel of Matthew 26:52, Omnes enim, qui acceperint gladium, gladio peribunt (for all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword).
qui habet aures audiendi audiat	he who has ears to hear, let him hear	"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"; Mark Mark 4:9
qui me tangit, vocem meam audit	who touches me, hears my voice	common inscription on bells
qui tacet consentire videtur	he who is silent is taken to agree	Thus, silence gives consent. Sometimes accompanied by the proviso "ubi loqui debuit ac potuit", that is, "when he ought to have spoken and was able to". Pope Boniface VII in Decretale di Bonifacio VIII, Libro V, Tit. 12, reg. 43 AD 1294
qui prior est tempore potior est jure	Who is first in point of time is stronger in right	As set forth in the "Property Law" casebook written by Jesse Dukeminier, which is generally used to teach first year law students.
qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur	he who brings an action for the king as well as for himself	Generally known as 'qui tam,' it is the technical legal term for the unique mechanism in the federal False Claims Act that allows persons and entities with evidence of fraud against federal programs or contracts to sue the wrongdoer on behalf of the Government.
qui totum vult totum perdit	he who wants everything loses everything	Attributed to Publilius Syrus
qui transtulit sustinet	he who transplanted still sustains	Or "he who brought us across still supports us", meaning God. State motto of Connecticut. Originally written as sustinet qui transtulit in 1639.
quia suam uxorem etiam suspicione vacare vellet	because he should wish his wife to be free even from any suspicion	Attributed to Julius Caesar by Plutarch, Caesar 10. Translated loosely as "because even the wife of Caesar may not be suspected". At the feast of Bona Dea, a sacred festival for females only, which was being held at the Domus Publica, the home of the Pontifex Maximus, Caesar, and hosted by his second wife, Pompeia, the notorious politician Clodius arrived in disguise. Caught by the outraged noblewomen, Clodius fled before they could kill him on the spot for sacrilege. In the ensuing trial, allegations arose that Pompeia and Clodius were having an affair, and while Caesar asserted that this was not the case and no substantial evidence arose suggesting otherwise, he nevertheless divorced, with this quotation as explanation.
quibuscum(que) viis	(and) by whatever ways possible	Used by Honoré de Balzac in several works,^[140] including Illusions perdues and Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes.
quid agis	What are you doing?	What's happening? What's going on? What's the news? What's up?
quid est veritas	What is truth?	In the Vulgate translation of John 18:38, Pilate's question to Jesus (Greek: Τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια;). A possible answer is an anagram of the phrase: est vir qui adest, "it is the man who is here."
quid novi ex Africa	What of the new out of Africa?	less literally, "What's new from Africa?"; derived from an Aristotle quotation