Latin Common Expressions

a posteriori	from the latter — knowledge or justification is dependent on experience or empirical evidence
a priori	from what comes before — knowledge or justification is independent of experience
faber est suae quisque fortunae	every man is the arquitect of his own fortune –quote by Appius Claudius Caecus
acta non verba	deeds, not words
ad calendas graecas	never — there is no greek calendas (Roman months)
ad hoc	to this — improvised or made up
ad hominem	to the man — below-the-belt personal attack rather than a reasoned argument
ad honorem	for honor
ad infinitum	to infinity
ad nauseam	used to describe an argument that has been taking place to the point of nausea
ad victoriam	to victory — more commonly translated into “for victory,” this was a battle cry of the Romans
alea iacta est	the die has been cast
alias	at another (time, place…) [Accusative of alius] — an assumed name or pseudonym
alibi	elsewhere
alma mater	nourishing mother — used to denote one’s college/university
amor patriae	love of one’s country
amor vincit omnia	love conquers all
annuit cœptis	He (God) nods at things being begun — or “he approves our undertakings,” motto on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States and on the back of the United States one-dollar bill
ante bellum	before the war
ante meridiem	before noon — A.M., used in timekeeping
aqua vitae	water of life — used to refer to various native distilled beverages, such as whisky (uisge beatha) in Scotland and Ireland, gin in Holland, and brandy (eau de vie) in France
arte et marte	by skill and valour
astra inclinant, sed non obligant	the stars incline us, they do not bind us — refers to the strength of free will over astrological determinism
audemus jura nostra defendere	we dare to defend our rights — state motto of Alabama
audere est facere	to dare is to do
audio	I hear
aurea mediocritas	golden mean — refers to the ethical goal of reaching a virtuous middle ground between two sinful extremes
auribus teneo lupum	I hold a wolf by the ears — a common ancient proverb; indicates that one is in a dangerous situation where both holding on and letting go could be deadly; a modern version is, “to have a tiger by the tail”
aut cum scuto aut in scuto	either with shield or on shield — do or die, “no retreat”; said by Spartan mothers to their sons as they departed for battle
aut neca aut necare	either kill or be killed
aut viam inveniam aut faciam	I will either find a way or make one — said by Hannibal, the great ancient military commander
barba non facit philosophum	a beard doesn’t make one a philosopher
bellum omnium contra omnes	war of all against all
bis dat qui cito dat	he gives twice, who gives promptly — a gift given without hesitation is as good as two gifts
bona fide	good faith
bono malum superate	overcome evil with good
carpe diem	seize the day
caveat emptor	let the buyer beware — the purchaser is responsible for checking whether the goods suit his need
circa	around, or approximately
citius altius fortius	faster, higher, stronger — modern Olympics motto
cogito ergo sum	“I think therefore I am” — famous quote by Rene Descartes
contemptus mundi/saeculi	scorn for the world/times — despising the secular world, the monk or philosopher’s rejection of a mundane life and worldly values
corpus christi	body of Christ
corruptissima re publica plurimae leges	when the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous — said by Tacitus
creatio ex nihilo	creation out of nothing — a concept about creation, often used in a theological or philosophical context
cura te ipsum	take care of your own self — an exhortation to physicians, or experts in general, to deal with their own problems before addressing those of others
curriculum vitae	the course of one’s life — in business, a lengthened resume
de facto	from the fact — distinguishing what’s supposed to be from what is reality
deo volente	God willing
deus ex machina	God out of a machine — a term meaning a conflict is resolved in improbable or implausible ways
dictum factum	what is said is done
disce quasi semper victurus vive quasi cras moriturus	learn as if you’re always going to live; live as if tomorrow you’re going to die
discendo discimus	while teaching we learn
docendo disco, scribendo cogito	I learn by teaching, think by writing
ductus exemplo	leadership by example
ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt	the fates lead the willing and drag the unwilling — attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca
dulce bellum inexpertis	war is sweet to the inexperienced
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori	it is sweet and fitting to die for your country
dulcius ex asperis	sweeter after difficulties
e pluribus unum	out of many, one — on the U.S. seal, and was once the country’s de facto motto
emeritus	veteran — retired from office
ergo	therefore
et alii	and others — abbreviated et al. — et alia(neuter plural) et aliae(femenine plural)
et cetera	and the others
et tu, Brute?	last words of Caesar after being murdered by friend Brutus in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” used today to convey utter betrayal
ex animo	from the heart — thus, “sincerely”
ex libris	from the library of — to mark books from a library
ex nihilo	out of nothing
ex post facto	from a thing done afterward — said of a law with retroactive effect
fac fortia et patere	do brave deeds and endure
fac simile	make alike — origin of the word “fax”
flectere si nequeo superos, acheronta movebo	if I cannot move heaven I will raise hell — Virgil’s Aeneid
fortes fortuna adiuvat	fortune favors the bold
fortis in arduis	strong in difficulties
gloria in excelsis Deo	glory to God in the highest
habeas corpus	you should have the body — a legal term from the 14th century or earlier; 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
historia vitae magistra	history, the teacher of life — from Cicero; also “history is the mistress of life”
hoc est bellum	this is war
homo unius libri (timeo)	(I fear) a man of one book — attributed to Thomas Aquinas
honor virtutis praemium	esteem is the reward of virtue
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
igne natura renovatur integra	through fire, nature is reborn whole
ignis aurum probat	fire tests gold — a phrase referring to the refining of character through difficult circumstances
imprimatur	let it be printed — applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement
in absentia	in the absence
in aqua sanitas	in water there is health
in flagrante delicto	in flaming crime — caught red-handed, or in the act
in memoriam	into the memory — more commonly “in memory of”
in omnia paratus	ready for anything
in situ	in position — something that exists in an original or natural state
in toto	in all or entirely
in umbra, igitur, pugnabimus	then we will fight in the shade — made famous by Spartans in the battle of Thermopylae and by the movie 300
in utero	in the womb
in vitro	in glass — biological process that occurs in the lab
incepto ne desistam	may I not shrink from my purpose
intelligenti pauca	few words suffice for he who understands
invicta	unconquered
invictus maneo	I remain unvanquished
ipso facto	by the fact itself — something is true by its very nature
labor omnia vincit	hard work conquers all
laborare pugnare parati sumus	to work, (or) to fight; we are ready
labore et honore	by labor and honor
leges sine moribus vanae	laws without morals [are] vain
lex parsimoniae	law of succinctness — also known as Occam’s Razor, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one
lex talionis	the law of retaliation
magna cum laude	with great praise
magna est vis consuetudinis	great is the power of habit
magnum opus	great work — said of someone’s masterpiece
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
malum in se	wrong in itself — a legal term meaning that something is inherently wrong
malum prohibitum	wrong due to being prohibited — a legal term meaning that something is only wrong because it is against the law
mea culpa	my fault
meliora	better things — carrying the connotation of “always better”
memento mori	remember that [you will] die — was whispered by a servant into the ear of a victorious Roman general to check his pride as he paraded through cheering crowds after a victory; a genre of art meant to remind the viewer of the reality of his death
memento vivere	remember to live
memores acti prudentes futuri	mindful of what has been done, aware of what will be
modus operandi	method of operating — abbreviated M.O.
montani semper liberi	mountaineers [are] always free — state motto of West Virginia
morior invictus	death before defeat
morituri te salutant	those who are about to die salute you — popularized as a standard salute from gladiators to the emperor, but only recorded once in Roman history
morte magis metuenda senectus	old age should rather be feared than death
mulgere hircum	to milk a male goat — to attempt the impossible
multa paucis	say much in few words
nanos gigantum humeris insidentes	dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants — commonly known by the letters of Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”
nec aspera terrent	they don’t terrify the rough ones — frightened by no difficulties, less literally “difficulties be damned”
nec temere nec timide	neither reckless nor timid
nil volentibus arduum	nothing [is] arduous for the willing
nihil obstat	no objection to an initiative or an appointment — attestation by a church censor that a book contains nothing damaging to faith or morals
nolo contendere	I do not wish to contend — that is, “no contest”; a plea that can be entered on behalf of a defendant in a court that states that the accused doesn’t admit guilt, but will accept punishment for a crime
non ducor, duco	I am not led; I lead
non loqui sed facere	not talk but action
non progredi est regredi	to not go forward is to go backward
non scholae, sed vitae discimus	we learn not for school, but for life — from Seneca
non sequitur	it does not follow — in general, a comment which is absurd due to not making sense in its context (rather than due to being inherently nonsensical or internally inconsistent), often used in humor
non sum qualis eram	I am not such as I was — or “I am not the kind of person I once was”
nosce te ipsum	know thyself — from Cicero
novus ordo seclorum	new order of the ages — from Virgil; motto on the Great Seal of the United States
nulla tenaci invia est via	for the tenacious, no road is impassable
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
panem et circenses	bread and circuses — originally described all that was needed for emperors to placate the Roman mob; today used to describe any entertainment used to distract public attention from more important matters
para bellum	prepare for war — if you want peace, prepare for war—if a country is ready for war, its enemies are less likely to attack
parvis imbutus tentabis grandia tutus	when you are steeped in little things, you shall safely attempt great things — sometimes translated as, “once you have accomplished small things, you may attempt great ones safely”
pater familias	father of the family — the eldest male in a family
pecunia, si uti scis, ancilla est; si nescis, domina	if you know how to use money, money is your slave; if you don’t, money is your master
per angusta ad augusta	through difficulties to greatness
per annum	by the year
per capita	by the person
per diem	by the day
per se	through itself
persona non grata	person not pleasing — an unwelcome, unwanted or undesirable person
pollice verso	with a turned thumb — used by Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator
post meridiem	after noon — P.M., used in timekeeping
post mortem	after death
postscriptum	thing having been written afterward — in writing, abbreviated P.S.
praemonitus praemunitus	forewarned is forearmed
praesis ut prosis ne ut imperes	lead in order to serve, not in order to rule
primus inter pares	first among equals — a title of the Roman Emperors
pro bono	for the good — in business, refers to services rendered at no charge
pro rata	for the rate
quam bene vivas referre (or refert), non quam diu	it is how well you live that matters, not how long — from Seneca
quasi	as if or as though
qui totum vult totum perdit	he who wants everything loses everything — attributed to Seneca
quid agis	what’s going on? — what’s up, what’s happening, etc.
quid pro quo	this for that — an exchange of value
quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur	whatever has been said in Latin seems deep — or “anything said in Latin sounds profound”; a recent ironic Latin phrase to poke fun at people who seem to use Latin phrases and quotations only to make themselves sound more important or “educated”
quis custodiet ipsos custodes?	who will guard the guards themselves? — Juvenal
quod erat demonstrandum	what was to be demonstrated — abbreviated Q.E.D.
quorum	of whom — the number of members whose presence is required under the rules to make any given meeting constitutional
requiescat in pace	let him rest in peace — abbreviated R.I.P. — also requiescat in pacem with accusative instead of ablative or requiescant in plural
rigor mortis	stiffness of death
scientia ac labore	knowledge through hard work
scientia ipsa potentia est	knowledge itself is power
semper anticus	always forward
semper fidelis	always faithful — U.S. Marines motto
semper fortis	always brave
semper paratus	always prepared
semper virilis	always virile
si vales, valeo	when you are strong, I am strong
si vis pacem, para bellum	if you want peace, prepare for war
sic parvis magna	greatness from small beginnings — motto of Sir Frances Drake
sic semper tyrannis	thus always to tyrants — attributed to Brutus at the time of Julius Caesar’s assassination, and to John Wilkes Booth at the time of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination; whether it was actually said at either of these events is disputed
sic vita est	thus is life — the ancient version of “it is what it is”
sola fide	by faith alone
sola nobilitat virtus	virtue alone ennobles
solvitur ambulando	it is solved by walking
spes bona	good hope
statim (stat)	immediately — medical shorthand
status quo	the situation in which or current condition
subpoena	under penalty
sum quod eris	I am what you will be — a gravestone inscription to remind the reader of the inevitability of death
summa cum laude	with highest praise
summum bonum	the supreme good
suum cuique	to each his own
tabula rasa	scraped tablet — “blank slate”; John Locke used the term to describe the human mind at birth, before it had acquired any knowledge
tempora heroica	Heroic Age
tempus edax rerum	time, devourer of all things
tempus fugit	time flees — commonly mistranslated “time flies”
terra firma	firm ground
terra incognita	unknown land — used on old maps to show unexplored areas
vae victis	woe to the conquered
vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas	vanity of vanities; everything [is] vanity — from the Bible (Ecclesiastes 1)
veni vidi vici	I came, I saw, I conquered — famously said by Julius Caesar
verbatim	repeat exactly
veritas et aequitas	truth and equity
versus	against
veto	I forbid
vice versa	to change or turn around
vincit qui patitur	he conquers who endures
vincit qui se vincit	he conquers who conquers himself
vir prudens non contra ventum mingit	[a] wise man does not urinate [up] against the wind
virile agitur	the manly thing is being done
viriliter agite	act in a manly way
viriliter agite estote fortes	quit ye like men, be strong
virtus tentamine gaudet	strength rejoices in the challenge
virtute et armis	by virtue and arms — or “by manhood and weapons”; state motto of Mississippi
vive memor leti	live remembering death
vivere est vincere	to live is to conquer — Captain John Smith’s personal motto
vivere militare est	to live is to fight
vox populi	voice of the people