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, mulier qui hominum allicit et accipit eos per fortis	war, a woman who lures men and takes them by force	Latin proverb^{[citation needed]}
bella gerant alii Protesilaus amet!	let others wage war Protesilaus should love!	Originally from Ovid, Heroides 13.84,^[17] where Laodamia is writing to her husband Protesilaus who is at the Trojan War. She begs him to stay out of danger, but he was in fact the first Greek to die at Troy. Also used of the Habsburg marriages of 1477 and 1496, written as bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube (let others wage war; you, happy Austria, marry). Said by King Matthias.
bella detesta matribus	war hateful to mothers	From Horace
bello et jure senesco	I grow old through war and law	Motto of the House of d'Udekem d'Acoz
bellum omnium contra omnes	war of all against all	A phrase used by Thomas Hobbes to describe the state of nature
bellum Romanum	war as the Romans did it	All-out war without restraint as Romans practiced against groups they considered to be barbarians
bellum se ipsum alet	war feeds itself
Biblia pauperum	Paupers' Bible	Tradition of biblical pictures displaying the essential facts of Christian salvation
bibo ergo sum	I drink, therefore I am	A play on "cogito ergo sum", "I think therefore I am"
bis dat qui cito dat	he gives twice, who gives promptly	A gift given without hesitation is as good as two gifts.
bis in die (bid)	twice in a day	Medical shorthand for "twice a day"
bona fide	in good faith	In other words, "well-intentioned", "fairly". In modern contexts, often has connotations of "genuinely" or "sincerely". Bona fides is not the plural (which would be bonis fidebus), but the nominative, and means simply "good faith". Opposite of mala fide.
bona notabilia	note-worthy goods	In law, if a person dying has goods, or good debts, in another diocese or jurisdiction within that province, besides his goods in the diocese where he dies, amounting to a certain minimum value, he is said to have bona notabilia; in which case, the probat of his will belongs to the archbishop of that province.
bona officia	good services	A nation's offer to mediate in disputes between two other nations
bona patria	goods of a country	A jury or assize of countrymen, or good neighbors
bona vacantia	vacant goods	United Kingdom legal term for ownerless property that passes to The Crown
boni pastoris est tondere pecus non deglubere	it is a good shepherd's [job] to shear his flock, not to flay them	Tiberius reportedly said this to his regional commanders, as a warning against taxing the populace excessively.
bono malum superate	overcome evil with good	Motto of Westonbirt School
bonum commune communitatis	common good of the community	Or "general welfare". Refers to what benefits a society, as opposed to bonum commune hominis, which refers to what is good for an individual. In the film Hot Fuzz, this phrase is chanted by an assembled group of people, in which context it is deliberately similar to another phrase that is repeated throughout the film, which is The Greater Good.
bonum commune hominis	common good of a man	Refers to an individual's happiness, which is not "common" in that it serves everyone, but in that individuals tend to be able to find happiness in similar things.
boreas domus, mare amicus	the North is our home, the sea is our friend	Motto of Orkney
brutum fulmen	harmless (or inert) thunderbolt	Used to indicate either an empty threat, or a judgement at law which has no practical effect
busillis [it]	baffling puzzle, thorny problem	John of Cornwall (ca. 1170) was once asked by a scribe what the word meant. It turns out that the original text said in diebus illis [in those days], which the scribe misread as in die busillis [at the day of Busillis], believing this was a famous man. This mondegreen has since entered the literature; it occurs in Alessandro Manzoni's novel The Betrothed (1827), in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov (1880), and in Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series.

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.^[36]
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;^[37] 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.^[38]
de praescientia Dei	from/through the foreknowledge of God	Motto of the Worshipful Company of Barbers.
de profundis	from the depths	Meaning from out of the depths of misery or dejection. From the Latin translation of the Vulgate Bible of Psalm 130, of which it is a traditional title in Roman Catholic liturgy.
de re	about/regarding the matter	In logic, de dicto statements regarding the truth of a proposition are distinguished from de re statements regarding the properties of a thing itself.
decessit sine prole	died without issue	Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p., to indicate a person who died without having had any children.
decessit sine prole legitima	died without legitimate issue	Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p.l., to indicate a person who died without having had any children with a spouse.
decessit sine prole mascula legitima	died without legitimate male issue	Used in genealogical records in cases of nobility or other hereditary titles, often abbreviated as d.s.p.m.l. or d.s.p.m. legit, to indicate a person who died without having had any legitimate male children (indicating there were illegitimate male children)
decessit sine prole mascula superstite	died without surviving male issue	Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p.m., to indicate a person who died without having had any male children who survived, i.e. outlived him.
decessit sine prole superstite	died without surviving issue	Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.s.p.s., to indicate a person who died without having had any children who survived, i.e. outlived him.
decessit vita matris	died in the lifetime of the mother	Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.v.m., to indicate a person who predeceased his or her mother.
decessit vita patris	died in the lifetime of the father	Used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as d.v.p., to indicate a person who predeceased his or her father.
decus et tutamen	an ornament and a safeguard	A phrase from Virgil's Aeneid. Inscription on British one-pound coins. Originally inscribed on coins of the 17th century, it refers to the inscribed edge of the coin as a protection against the clipping of its precious metal.
defendit numerus	There is safety in numbers
Defensor Fortis	Defender of the Force	Official motto of the United States Air Force Security Forces (Security Police).
Dei gratia	By the grace of God	Part of the full style of a monarch historically considered to be ruling by divine right, notably in the style of the English and British monarch since 1521
Dei gratia regina	By the Grace of God, Queen	Also Dei gratia rex ("By the Grace of God, King"). Abbreviated as D G REG preceding Fidei Defensor (F D) on British pound coins, and as D G Regina on Canadian coins. Also occurs on coins of the Holy Roman Empire such as the Otto Adelheid Pfennig.
Dei sub numine viget	Under God's Spirit she flourishes	Motto of Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States.
delectatio morosa	peevish delight	In Catholic theology, pleasure taken in a sinful thought or imagination, such as brooding on sexual images. As voluntary and complacent erotic fantasizing, without attempt to suppress such thoughts, it is distinct from actual sexual desire.
delegata potestas non potest delegari	Delegated powers can not be [further] delegated	A legal principle whereby one to whom certain powers were delegated may not ipso facto re-delegate them to another. A distinction may be had between delegated powers and the additional power to re-delegate them.
delirant isti Romani	They are mad, those Romans[!]	A Latin translation of René Goscinny's phrase in French ils sont fous, ces romains! or Italian Sono pazzi questi Romani. Cf. SPQR, which Obelix frequently used in the Asterix comics.
Deo ac veritati	for God and for truth	Motto of Colgate University.
Deo confidimus	In God we trust	Motto of Somerset College.
Deo 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.^[39]
dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet	He has half the deed done, who has made a beginning.^[40]	From the second letter by Horace in his First Book of Letters: Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet; sapere aude, incipe. [... dare to know, begin].^[41]
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)^[42]
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.^[43]
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^[44]	An encouragement to embrace life."^[45] Emily Dickinson used the line in a whimsical valentine written to William Howland in 1852 and subsequently published in the Springfield Daily Republican:^[46]
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.^[47]
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
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.^[77]
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".^[78]
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".^[79] Later, found in Henry Baerlein's introduction to his translation of The Diwan of Abul ʿAla by Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri (973–1057);^[80] 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.^[81]
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^[82]
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^[83]^[84]
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^[85]
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^[86]
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.;^[87] expanded in the Middle Ages

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.^[88]^[89]
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^[90] 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.^[91] 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).^[92]
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)^[93] 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^[95]	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
honor et virtus post morte floret	honesty and virtue flourish after death	inscribed in the stonework in Paolo Veronese's (1565 c.) Painting Allegory of Virtue and Vice
honor virtutis praemium	esteem is the reward of virtue	Motto of Arnold School, Blackpool, England
honoris causa	for the sake of honor	Said of an honorary title, such as "Doctor of Science honoris causa"
hora fugit	the hour flees	See tempus fugit
hora somni (h.s.)	at the hour of sleep	Medical shorthand for "at bedtime"
horas non numero nisi serenas	I do not count the hours unless they are sunny	A common inscription on sundials.
horresco referens	I shudder as I tell	From Virgil's Aeneid, 2.204, on the appearance of the sea-serpents who kill the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons
horribile dictu	horrible to say	cf. mirabile dictu
horror vacui	fear of the empty	phenomenon in art and hypothesis in philosophy
hortus in urbe	A garden in the city	Motto of the Chicago Park District, a playful allusion to the city's motto, urbs in horto, q.v.
hortus siccus	A dry garden	A collection of dry, preserved plants
hostis humani generis	enemy of the human race	Cicero defined pirates in Roman law as being enemies of humanity in general.
humilitas occidit superbiam	humility conquers pride
hypotheses non fingo	I do not fabricate hypotheses	From Newton, Principia. Less literally, "I do not assert that any hypotheses are true".

List of Latin phrases (full)

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

Footnotes

References

Wikiwand - on

Latin	Translation	Notes
a bene placito	from one well pleased	i.e., "at will" or "at one's pleasure". This phrase, and its Italian (beneplacito) and Spanish (beneplácito) derivatives, are synonymous with the more common ad libitum (at pleasure).
a capite ad calcem	from head to heel	i.e., "from top to bottom", "all the way through", or "from head to toe". See also a pedibus usque ad caput.
a contrario	from the opposite	i.e., "on the contrary" or "au contraire". Thus, an argumentum a contrario ("argument from the contrary") is an argument or proof by contrast or direct opposite.
a Deucalione	from or since Deucalion	A long time ago; from Gaius Lucilius, Satires VI, 284
a falsis principiis proficisci	to set forth from false principles	Legal phrase. From Cicero, De Finibus IV.53.
a fortiori	from the stronger	i.e., "even more so" or "with even stronger reason". Often used to lead from a less certain proposition to a more evident corollary.
a maiore ad minus	from the greater to the smaller	From general to particular; "What holds for all `X` also holds for one particular `X`." – argument a fortiori
a minore ad maius	from the smaller to the greater	An inference from smaller to bigger; what is forbidden at least is forbidden at more ("If riding a bicycle with two on it is forbidden, riding it with three on it is at least similarly punished.")
a pedibus usque ad caput	from feet to head	i.e., "completely", "from tip to toe", "from head to toe". Equally a capite ad calcem. See also ab ovo usque ad mala.
a posse ad esse	from being able to being	"From possibility to actuality" or "from being possible to being actual".
a posteriori	from the latter	Based on observation, i. e., empirical evidence. Opposite of a priori. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known after a proof has been carried out. In philosophy, used to denote something known from experience.
a priori	from the former	Presupposed independent of experience; the reverse of a posteriori. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known or postulated before a proof has been carried out. In philosophy, used to denote something is supposed without empirical evidence. In everyday speech, it denotes something occurring or being known before the event.
a solis ortu usque ad occasum	from sunrise to sunset
ab absurdo	from the absurd	Said of an argument either for a conclusion that rests on the alleged absurdity of an opponent's argument (cf. appeal to ridicule) or that another assertion is false because it is absurd. The phrase is distinct from reductio ad absurdum, which is usually a valid logical argument.
ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia	The inference of a use from its abuse is not valid	i.e., a right is still a right even if it is abused (e.g. practiced in a morally/ethically wrong way); cf. § abusus non tollit usum.
ab aeterno	from the eternal	Literally, "from the everlasting", "from eternity", or "from outside of time". Philosophically and theologically, it indicates something, e. g., the universe, that was created from outside of time. Sometimes used incorrectly to denote something, not from without time, but from a point within time, i.e. "from time immemorial", "since the beginning of time". or "from an infinitely remote time in the past")
ab antiquo	from the ancient	i.e., from ancient times
ab epistulis	from the letters^[1]	Regarding or pertaining to correspondence.^[1] Ab epistulis was originally the title of the secretarial office in the Roman Empire
ab extra	from beyond/without	Legal term denoting derivation from an external source, as opposed to a person's self or mind—the latter of which is denoted by ab intra.
ab hinc	from here on	Also sometimes written as "abhinc"
ab imo pectore	from the deepest chest	i.e., "from the bottom of my heart", "with deepest affection", or "sincerely". Attributed to Julius Caesar.
ab inconvenienti	from an inconvenient thing	Neo-Latin for "based on unsuitability", "from inconvenience", or "from hardship". An argumentum ab inconvenienti is one based on the difficulties involved in pursuing a line of reasoning, and is thus a form of appeal to consequences. The phrase refers to the legal principle that an argument from inconvenience has great weight.
ab incunabulis	from the cradle	i.e., "from the beginning" or "from infancy". Incunabula is commonly used in English to refer to the earliest stage or origin of something, and especially to copies of books that predate the spread of the printing press c. AD 1500.
ab initio	from the beginning	i.e., "from the outset", referring to an inquiry or investigation. Ab initio mundi means "from the beginning of the world". In literature, it refers to a story told from the beginning rather than in medias res ('from the middle'). In science, it refers to the first principles. In other contexts, it often refers to beginner or training courses. In law, it refers to a thing being true from its beginning or from the instant of the act, rather than from when the court declared it so. Likewise, an annulment is a judicial declaration of the invalidity or nullity of a marriage ab initio: the so-called marriage was "no thing" (Latin: nullius, from which the word "nullity" derives) and never existed, except perhaps in name only.
ab intestato	from an intestate	i.e., from a (dead) decedent, who died without executing a legal will; cf. ex testamento
ab intra	from within	i.e., from the inside, as opposed to ab extra ("from without").
ab invito	against one's will
ab irato	from/by an angry person	More literally, "from/by an angry man". Though the form irato is masculine, the application of the phrase is not limited to men. Rather, "person" is meant because the phrase probably elides homo ("man/person"), not vir ("man"). It is used in law to describe a decision or action that is motivated by hatred or anger instead of reason and is detrimental to those whom it affects.
ab origine	from the source	i.e., from the origin, beginning, source, or commencement; or, "originally". Root of the word aboriginal.
ab ovo	from the egg	i.e., from the beginning or origin. Derived from the longer phrase in Horace's Satire 1.3: "ab ovo usque ad mala", meaning "from the egg to the apples", referring to how Ancient Roman meals would typically begin with an egg dish and end with fruit (cf. the English phrase soup to nuts). Thus, ab ovo means "from the beginning", and can connote thoroughness.
absens haeres non erit	an absent person will not be an heir	Legal principle that a person who is not present is unlikely to inherit.
absente reo (abs. re.)	[with] the defendant being absent	Legal phrase denoting action "in the absence of the accused".
absit iniuria	absent from injury	i.e., "no offense", meaning to wish that no insult or injury be presumed or done by the speaker's words. Also rendered as absit iniuria verbis ("let injury be absent from these words"). cf. absit invidia.
absit invidia	absent from envy	As opposed to "no offense", absit invidia is said in the context of a statement of excellence, to ward off envious deities who might interpret a statement of excellence as hubris. Also extended to absit invidia verbo ("may ill will/envy be absent from these words"). cf. absit iniuria verbis.^[2]
absit omen	absent from omen	i.e., "let this not be a bad omen", expressing the hope that something ill-boding does not turn out to be bad luck in the future.
absolutum dominium	absolute dominion	i.e., total or supreme power, dominion, ownership, or sovereignty
absolvo	I absolve	Legal term pronounced by a judge in order to acquit a defendant following their trial. Te absolvo or absolvo te ("I forgive you") is said by Roman Catholic priests during the Sacrament of Confession, prior to the Second Vatican Council and in vernacular thereafter.
abundans cautela non nocet	abundant caution does no harm	i.e., "one can never be too careful"
ab uno disce omnes	from one, learn all	Refers to situations in which a single example or observation indicates a general or universal truth. Coined in Virgil, Aeneid II 65-6. Example: visible in the court of King Silas in the American television series Kings.
ab urbe condita (AUC)	from the founding of the City	i.e., "from the founding of Rome", which occurred in 753 BC, according to Livy. It was used as a referential year in ancient Rome from which subsequent years were calculated, prior to being replaced by other dating conventions. Also anno urbis conditae (AUC), literally "in the year of the founded city".

Latin	Translation	Notes
I, Vitelli, dei Romani sono belli	Go, O Vitellius, at the war sound of the Roman god	Perfectly correct Latin sentence usually reported as funny by modern Italians because the same exact words, in Italian, mean "Romans' calves are beautiful", which has a ridiculously different meaning.
ibidem (ibid.)	in the same place	Usually used in bibliographic citations to refer to the last source previously referenced.
id est (i.e.)	that is (literally "it is")	"That is (to say)" in the sense of "that means" and "which means", or "in other words", "namely", or sometimes "in this case", depending on the context.
id quod plerumque accidit	that which generally happens	Phrase used in legal language to indicate the most probable outcome from an act, fact, event or cause
idem (id.)	the same	Used to refer to something that has already been cited; ditto. See also ibidem.
idem quod (i.q.)	the same as	Not to be confused with an intelligence quotient.
Idus Martiae	the Ides of March	In the Roman calendar, the Ides of March refers to the 15th day of March. In modern times, the term is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC; the term has come to be used as a metaphor for impending doom.
Jesu juva (J.J.)	Jesus, help!	Used by Johann Sebastian Bach at the beginning of his compositions, which he ended with "S.D.G." (Soli Deo gloria). Compare Besiyata Dishmaya.
Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (INRI)	Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews	From Vulgate; John 19:19. John 19:20 states that this inscription was written in three languages—Aramaic, Latin and Greek—at the top of the cross during the crucifixion of Jesus.
igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum	Therefore whoever desires peace, let him prepare for war	Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De re militari; similar to si vis pacem, para bellum and in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello.
igne natura renovatur integra	through fire, nature is reborn whole	An alchemical aphorism invented as an alternate meaning for the acronym INRI.
igni ferroque	with fire and iron	Phrase describing scorched earth tactics. Also rendered as igne atque ferro, ferro ignique, and other variations.
ignis aurum probat	fire tests gold	Phrase referring to the refining of character through difficult circumstances
ignis fatuus	foolish fire	Will-o'-the-wisp.
ignorantia juris non excusat (or ignorantia legis non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat)	ignorance of the law is no excuse	Legal principle whereby ignorance of a law does not allow one to escape liability
ignoratio elenchi	ignorance of the issue	The logical fallacy of irrelevant conclusion: making an argument that, while possibly valid, doesn't prove or support the proposition it claims to. An ignoratio elenchi that is an intentional attempt to mislead or confuse the opposing party is known as a red herring. Elenchi is from the Greek elenchos.
ignotum per ignotius	unknown by means of the more unknown	An explanation that is less clear than the thing to be explained. Synonymous with obscurum per obscurius.
ignotus (ign.)	unknown
illum oportet crescere me autem minui	He must become greater; I must become less	In the Gospel of John 3:30, a phrase said by John the Baptist after baptizing Jesus. Motto of Saint John the Baptist Catholic School, San Juan, Metro Manila.
imago Dei	image of God	From the religious concept that man was created in "God's image".
imitatio dei	imitation of a god	A principle, held by several religions, that believers should strive to resemble their god(s).
imperium in imperio	an order within an order	Group of people who owe utmost fealty to their leader(s), subordinating the interests of the larger group to the authority of the internal group's leader(s). A "fifth column" organization operating against the organization within which they seemingly reside. "State within a state"
imperium sine fine	an empire without an end	In Virgil's Aeneid, Jupiter ordered Aeneas to found a city (Rome) from which would come an everlasting, never-ending empire, the endless (sine fine) empire.
impossibilium nulla obligatio est	there is no obligation to do the impossible	Publius Juventius Celsus, Digesta L 17, 185.
imprimatur	let it be printed	An authorization to publish, granted by some censoring authority (originally a Catholic bishop).
in absentia	in the absence	Used in a number of situations, such as in a trial carried out in the absence of the accused.
in absentia lucis, tenebrae vincunt	in the absence of light, darkness prevails
in actu	in act	In the very act; in reality.
[Dominica] in albis [depositis]	[Sunday in Setting Aside the] White Garments	Latin name of the Octave of Easter.
in articulo mortis	at the point of death
in bono veritas	truth is in the good
in camera	in the chamber	In secret. See also camera obscura.
in casu (i.c.)	in the event	In this case.
in cauda venenum	the poison is in the tail	Using the metaphor of a scorpion, this can be said of an account that proceeds gently, but turns vicious towards the end—or more generally waits till the end to reveal an intention or statement that is undesirable in the listener's ears.
in com. Ebor.	In the county of Yorkshire	Abbreviation of in comitatu Eboraci. Eboracum was the Roman name for York and this phrase is used in some Georgian and Victorian books on the genealogy of prominent Yorkshire families.
in Christi lumine pro mundi vita	in the light of Christ for the life on the world	Motto of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
incurvatus in se	turned/curved inward on oneself
in Deo speramus	in God we hope	Motto of Brown University.
in dubio pro reo	in doubt, on behalf of the [alleged] culprit	Expresses the judicial principle that in case of doubt the decision must be in favor of the accused (in that anyone is innocent until there is proof to the contrary).
in duplo	in double	In duplicate

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 tan the individual, but less than their totality^[109]
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.^[110] 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),^[111] "without an adversary, prowess shrivels" (Moral Essays (1928) by Seneca, translated by John W, Basore)^[112] 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
nanos gigantum humeris insidentes	Dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants	First recorded by John of Salisbury in the twelfth century and attributed to Bernard of Chartres. Also commonly known by the letters of Isaac Newton: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants".
nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet	As we are born we die, and our end hangs from our beginning
nasciturus pro iam nato habetur, quotiens de commodis eius agitur	The unborn is deemed to have been born to the extent that his own inheritance is concerned	Refers to a situation where an unborn child is deemed to be entitled to certain inheritance rights.
natura abhorret a vacuo	nature abhors vacuum	Pseudo-explanation for why a liquid will climb up a tube to fill a vacuum, often given before the discovery of atmospheric pressure.
natura artis magistra	Nature is the teacher of art	The name of the zoo in the centre of Amsterdam; short: "Artis".
natura naturans	nature acting	originally linked to Aristotle, then to his Arabic commentators
natura naturantis	nature creating, creative nature	literary motif used by Bolesław Leśmian
natura naturata	nature created	concept explored by Baruch Spinoza
natura nihil frustra facit	nature does nothing in vain	Cf. Aristotle: "οὐθὲν γάρ, ὡς φαμέν, μάτην ἡ φύσις ποιεῖ" (Politics I 2, 1253a9) and Leucippus: "Everything that happens does so for a reason and of necessity."
natura non contristatur	nature is not saddened	That is, the natural world is not sentimental or compassionate. Derived by Arthur Schopenhauer from an earlier source.
natura non facit saltum ita nec lex	nature does not make a leap, thus neither does the law	Shortened form of sicut natura nil facit per saltum ita nec lex (just as nature does nothing by a leap, so neither does the law), referring to both nature and the legal system moving gradually.
natura non facit saltus	nature makes no leaps	A famous aphorism of Carl Linnaeus stating that all organisms bear relationships on all sides, their forms changing gradually from one species to the next. From Philosophia Botanica (1751).
natura valde simplex est et sibi consona	Nature is exceedingly simple and harmonious with itself	Sir Isaac Newton's famous quote, defining foundation of all modern sciences. Can be found in his Unpublished Scientific Papers of Isaac Newton: A selection from the Portsmouth Collection in the University Library, Cambridge, 1978 edition^[123]
naturalia non sunt turpia	What is natural is not dirty	Based on Servius' commentary on Virgil's Georgics (3:96): "turpis non est quia per naturam venit."
naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret	You may drive out Nature with a pitchfork, yet she still will hurry back	You must take the basic nature of something into account. – Horace, Epistles, Book I, epistle X, line 24.
naturam primum cognoscere rerum	First to learn the nature of things	Motto of the Australian National University
navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse	to sail is necessary; to live is not necessary	Attributed by Plutarch to Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, who, during a severe storm, commanded sailors to bring food from Africa to Rome. Translated from Plutarch's Greek "πλεῖν ἀνάγκη, ζῆν οὐκ ἀνάγκη".
ne plus ultra	nothing more beyond	Also nec plus ultra or non plus ultra. A descriptive phrase meaning the most extreme point, or the best form, of something. Most notably the Pillars of Hercules were in the geographic sense the nec plus ultra of the ancient Mediterranean world, before the discovery of the Americas. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V's heraldic emblem contradicted this postulate, using an amended version of the phrase inscribed on two pillars – as plus ultra ("more (lies) beyond"), without the negation, referring to the on-going Spanish colonization of the recently discovered Americas, which lay beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Non plus ultra is the motto of the Spanish exclave of Melilla, situated on a Mediterranean cape 230 km east of the original southern Pillar of Hercules. The Boston Musical Instrument Company engraved ne plus ultra on its instruments from 1869 to 1928 to signify that none were better.
ne puero gladium	do not give a sword to a boy	Never give dangerous tools to someone who is untrained to use them or too immature to understand the damage they can do.
ne supra crepidam sutor iudicaret	a shoemaker should not judge beyond the shoe	see Sutor, ne ultra crepidam
ne te quaesiveris extra	do not seek outside yourself	line from the Roman satirist Persius inscribed on the boulder to the right of Sir John Suckling in the painting of the aforementioned subject by Sir Anthony van Dyck (ca. 1638) and invoked by Ralph Waldo Emerson at the opening of his essay Self-Reliance (1841)
Nec aspera terrent	They are not terrified of the rough things	They are not afraid of difficulties. Less literally "Difficulties be damned." Motto for 27th Infantry Regiment (United States) and the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. Nec = not; aspera = rough ones/things; terrent = they terrify / do terrify / are terrifying.
Nec deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus (inciderit)	That a god not intervene, unless a knot show up that be worthy of such an untangler	"When the miraculous power of God is necessary, let it be resorted to: when it is not necessary, let the ordinary means be used." From Horace's Ars Poetica as a caution against deus ex machina.
nec dextrorsum, nec sinistrorsum	Neither to the right nor to the left	Do not get distracted. Motto for Bishop Cotton Boys' School and the Bishop Cotton Girls' School, both located in Bangalore, India.
nec spe, nec metu	without hope, without fear
nec tamen consumebatur	and yet it was not consumed	Refers to the burning bush of Exodus 3:2. Motto of many Presbyterian churches throughout the world.
nec temere, nec timide	neither reckless nor timid	Motto of the Dutch 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade and the city of Gdańsk, Poland
nec vi, nec clam, nec precario	Without permission, without secrecy, without interruption	The law of adverse possession
nec vir fortis, nec fæmina casta	if the man is not firm, the woman is not chaste	From Jonathan Swift's 1726 satire Gulliver's Travels where it is attributed to Polydore Vergil^[124]
neca eos omnes, Deus suos agnoscet	kill them all, God will know his own	alternate rendition of Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius. by Arnaud Amalric
necesse est aut imiteris aut oderis	you must either imitate or loathe the world	Seneca the Younger, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 7:7
necesse est credere unam tantum esse potentiam absolutam	It is necessary to believe that there is only one absolute power
necessitas etiam timidos fortes facit	need makes even the timid brave	Sallust, The Conspiracy of Catiline, 58:19
nemine contradicente (nem. con., N.C.D.)	with no one speaking against	Less literally, "without dissent". Used especially in committees, where a matter may be passed nem. con., or unanimously, or with unanimous consent.
nemini parco	I spare no one.	Death reminding mankind we all have the same fate; found in the Middle Ages engraved in death's scythe
nemo contra Deum nisi Deus ipse	No one against God except God himself	From Goethe's autobiography From my Life: Poetry and Truth, p. 598
nemo dat quod non habet	no one gives what he does not have	Thus, "none can pass better title than they have"
nemo est supra legem (or leges)	nobody is above the law (or laws)
Nemo igitur vir magnus sine aliquo adflatu divino umquam fuit	No great man ever existed who did not enjoy some portion of divine inspiration	From Cicero's De Natura Deorum, book 2, chapter LXVI, 167^[125]
nemo iudex in causa sua	no man shall be a judge in his own cause	Legal principle that no individual can preside over a hearing in which he holds a specific interest or bias