List of Latin phrases
This page provides English translations of less common Latin phrases (i.e., not always found in dictionaries), some of which are themselves translations from Greek.Note that the difference between phrases and proverbs is often subjective. Please use this test to see whether a Latin sentence is a phrase or proverb: If the sentence is an old yet common saying that expresses some practical truth, then it is probably a proverb. If it is in the form of an incomplete sentence or does not contain some practical truth, then it is probably a phrase.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
;A pedibus usque ad caput
- "From feet to head."
- "From the beginning"
- "May the presentiment not become real or take place"
- "from the founding of the city" (of Rome); 753 B.C, according to Livy's count; used as a reference point by the Romans for establishing dates, as we use A.D. today.
- "at your pleasure"
- "To the Greek Kalends", i.e. "to a date that does not (or will not) exist" (Emperor Augustus, in Suetonius, in the sense of "never" - Kalends were part of the Roman calendar, not of the Greek, so it is used of a false or unlikely promise)
- "To appeal to the crowd" -- often used of politicians who make false or insincere promises appealing to popular interest.
- "For a particular purpose (improvised, made up in an instant)"
- "To the man", meaning 1) an argument designed to appeal to personal interest rather than objective fact; 2) an argument criticizing one's opponent rather than his ideas.
- "in the meantime", as in the term "chargé d'affaires ad interim" for a diplomatic officer who acts in place of an ambassador
- "to infinity", going on forever
- "Freely; at ease", just ramble
- "to the greater glory of God"
- "To many years!", i.e. "Many happy returns!"
- "to the point of nausea"
- "by the value", e.g. ad valorem tax
- "The Devil's advocate"
- "Troubled dreams"
- "The die is cast" (Julius Caesar in Suetonius uses it as an imperative "Alea jacta esto": "Let the die be cast")
- "nourishing mother" - used for the university one has attended
- "Another self" - usually refers to a pseudonym but can refer to another person.
- "From sea to sea" - motto of Canada
- 'Friend of the court" (adviser), a person who can obtain or grant access to the favour of powerful people (like Romana curia). In current US legal usage, a brief submitted to the court by a third party.
- "In the year of the lord", often abbreviated A.D. - denotes the era after the birth of Jesus Christ, also called the Common Era
- "before the letter", a qualifier for an expression when applied to something that existed before the expression itself was introduced or became common. For example, one could say that Alan Turing was a computer scientist ante litteram, since the profession of "computer scientist" was not recognised in Turing's day.
- "Before noon" -- in the period from midnight to noon
- "Art for art's sake" (motto of MGM)
- "Art is long, life is short". This is the Latin translation by Horace of a phrase from Hippocrates, and is often used out of context. The art referred to in the original aphorism was the craft of medicine, which took a lifetime to acquire.
- "Golden Mean" (in Horace, Odi, an ethical goal)
- "Death or victory"
- "Hail and farewell!"
B
;Bona fide
- "In good faith"
- "Common good of man"
- "General welfare"
C
;Cacoethes scribendi
- "An insatiable urge (literally 'a bad habit') to write." From Juvenal.
- "Seize the day" (Horace to Leuconoe: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero, take hold of the day, believing as little as possible in the morrow)
- "an event that causes or justifies war"
- "Let the buyer beware", i.e. the onus of responsibility is on the purchaser of goods.
- "Let the seller beware", i.e. the seller of goods is responsible for providing information about the goods to the purchaser
- "Beware of the dog"
- "In conclusion, I think that..."
- "The rest is missing"
- "All other relevant things being equal"
- "Christ the King"
- "About, approximately, around", e.g. of a date: "Jesus Christ was actually born circa 6 B.C."
- "I think, therefore I am" (René Descartes)
- "Of sound mind" (sometimes used rather humorously)
- "Condition without which not", or "indispensable condition".
- "Helvetian Confederation" -- the official name of Switzerland and the source of the ISO_3166-1_alpha-2 country code and Top-level_domain "ch"
- "Body of Christ"
- "body of the crime" - the body of facts that prove a crime
- "A person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment
- "I believe it because it is absurd." -- Tertullian
- "Cure thyself"
- "Whom does it benefit?" - a maxim sometimes used in the detection of crime.
- "Whom does it benefit?" (short form for cui prodest scelus, is fecit in Seneca's Medea - the murderer is the one who gains by the murder)
- "He who rules, his religion"
- "With a grain of salt" (just a bit of wise attention)
- "course of life" - a résumé
D
;Damnant quod non intellegunt
- "They condemn what they do not understand."
- "in fact", "in practice"
- "there is no disputing matters of taste"
- "by law"
- "The authority" (or "king", or "law") "does not care about trivial things"
- "Anew"
- "A contrived or artificial solution" (literally, "a god from a machine"). Refers to the practice in Greek drama of letting Zeus resolve awkward plots when a mechanical device would lower an actor playing Zeus onto the stage near the end of a play, as though he were descending from Olympus.)
- "God wills it!" (Slogan of the Crusades)
- "Divide and govern", attributed to Philip II of Macedonia and meaning that if you encourage rivalries and jealousies among your people, you will rule them more easily
- "The Lord is my light" (the motto of Oxford University).
- "As long as I breathe, I hope"
- "The law is harsh, but it is the law"
E
- "From many, one" - the motto of the USA.
- "Behold the man!" -- in the Latin translation of the Gospel of John these words are spoken by Pilate as he presents Christ crowned with thorns to the crowd.
- "Honorary; by merit"
- "Let it be everlasting" -- used by the historian Fra Paolo Sarpi of his native Venice.
- "And others", often written et al. (Alii strictly means "male others", but is also used for groups of men and women; et aliae is used when the "others" are all female.)
- "And the other ones", also abbreviated as 'etc.' (nowadays used for "and the rest")
- "I, also, am in Arcadia" (See memento mori)
- "And thou, Brutus?" This is an accurate quotation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. He renders as Latin in an English play what was originally quoted as Greek spoken by a Roman. Plutarch quotes Caesar as saying, "Kai su, teknon?", Greek for "You too, my child?" Greek would have been the language of Rome's elite at the time. It is unlikely that Caesar actually said these words.
- "From the heart" (sincerely)
- "Before the event, beforehand" (economics: based on prior assumptions)
- "From the chair" -- a phrase applied to the Pope when he is speaking infallibly and, by extension, to others who speak with supreme authority or arrogance.
- "Ever upward"
- "For the sake of example" or just "for example." Often abbreviated as e.g.
- See exit.
- "from the hypothesis" (i.e. the one under consideration)
- "he / she leaves;" Exeunt omnes: they all leave
- "From the books (library) of..."
- "From nothing" -- Jewish, Christian, and Muslim tradition holds that God created the universe from nothing.
- "Nothing comes from nothing" - you need to work for something
- "From the office" - when someone holds one position by virtue of holding another, e.g. the U.S. vice president is ex officio president of the Senate
- "After the fact" (also post facto)
- "Outside the Church [there is] No Salvation" -- a phrase of much disputed significance in Roman Catholic theology.
F
;Fiat justitia (et ruat cælum)
- "Let justice be done (though the heavens fall)"
- "Defender of the Faith" -- a title given to Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on October 17, 1521 before Henry became an heresiarch. Appears on all British coins, usually abbreviated.
- "The wellspring and origin"
G
;Genius loci
- "the spirit of the place"
- "glory to God in the highest"
H
- "You must have the body", i.e. you must justify an imprisonment. First two words of the Writ to bring a prisoner to court (Charles II of England, Habeas corpus Act - 1679)and commonly used as the general term for a prisoner's legal right to have the charge against specifically identified
- "We have a pope" - used at the announcement of a new pope (see conclave)
- "Here lies...." -- written on gravestones or tombs.
- as in "doctorate h.c.", an honorary degree
- "Horrible to tell"
I
;Id est
- "That is" or sometimes "in this case," depending on the context. Often abbreviated i.e. Example: When celebrating this holiday (i.e. Christmas), always hang a wreath on your door.
- Not an authentic phrase from antquity. Supposedly a latin version of the English phrase "Don't let the bastards wear you down."
- "An empire within an empire," i.e. a fifth column, a group of people within an nation's territory who owe allegiance to some other leader.
- "in the absence" (of a defendant in court)
- "Infinite is the number of fools" Ecclesiastes 1:15 (Vulgate)
- "In flaming crime," i.e. "red-handed" -nowadays used when you are in found in a compromising situation with a sexual partner
- "In or into the middle of a sequence of events" - taken from the poet Horace, this refers to the poetic technique of beginning a narrative poem at a late point in the story, after much action has already taken place. Poems which use this technique inclued the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Paradise Lost.
- "In memory of"
- "In necessary things unity, in doubtful things liberty, in all things charity" -- a theological phrase often misattributed to St Augustine.
- "In place"; in the original location and environment.
- "In total" (altogether)
- "Drink brings out the truth" (literally, "in wine, truth")
- "Incredible to say"
- "He, himself, has spoken." Used with reference to the arbitrary assertions of authorities. See appeal to authority
- "By the fact itself"
- "By united efforts"
- "Right of the first night" - droit de seigneur
L
;Labor omnia vincit
- "Labor conquers all"
- "A slip of the pen"
- "A slip of the tongue"
- "Memory lapse"
- "Law of retaliation" -- cf. Retributive justice, an eye for an eye.
- A fragment of Latin from Cicero, used as filler by copy editors.
M
;Magna cum laude
- "With great honor"
- "Masterpiece" (great work); also ironically.
- "In bad faith" -- something which is done fraudulently.
- "Wrong in itself" a crime that is inherently wrong, as opposed to malum prohibitum.
- "A prohibited wrong" a crime that society decides is wrong for some reason, not inherently evil.
- "By my own (very great) fault" -- used in Christian prayers and confession.
- "Remember that you will die."
- "Wonderful to tell"
- "way of life" - an accommodation between disagreeing parties
- "Those who are about to die salute you"
- "Much in little" -- e.g. "Latin phrases are often multum in parvo, because they convey much in few words."
- "The necessary changes having been made."
N
;Nemo me impune lacessit
- "No-one provokes me with impunity" -- a famous Scottish motto.
- "Willing or not"
- "Touch me not" -- according to the Gospel of John, this was said by Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection.
- "Of unsound mind"
- Statement that doesn't follow logic (Literally, "It does not follow.")
- "I will not serve"
- "Know thyself"
- "note it well" - an important note
- "New Order of the Ages"
- "closed number"
O
- "Let them hate, so long as they fear." Attributed by Seneca to the playwright Lucius Accius, and said to be a favourite saying of Caligula's.
- "I hate (her), and I love (her)." From Catullus
- "Theological hatred" -- a special name for the hatred generated in theological disputes.
- "Pray and work" - Benedictine motto
P
- "agreements must be honoured"
- "Bread and circuses" - coined by the poet Juvenal, describing all that was needed for the emperors to placate the Roman mob, and today used to describe any public entertainment.
- "Parent of the country"
- "With equal step" - moving together
- A line from Horace: "The mountains are in labour, and a ridiculous mouse shall be born" (i.e. much ado about nothing).
- "throughout" - used in proof reading to indicate a correction that should be made globally and will not be noted on every occurrence
- "father of the family"
- "[The] Peace of America" -- a euphemism for the United States of America and its sphere of influence, adapted from Pax Romana (q.v.)
- "[The] Peace of Britain" -- a euphemism for the British Empire, adapted from Pax Romana (q.v.)
- "[The] Peace of Rome" -- a euphemism for the Roman Empire, referring to the imposed peace enjoyed under Roman rule.
- "Peace be with you (singular)"
- "Peace be with you (plural)"
- "Per year"
- "Through hardship to the stars," motto of the Royal Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.
- "Per person" (literally, "by head(s)")
- "By or in itself, without referring to anything else, intrinsically", see for instance negligence per se
- something in perpetual motion
- "Person not wanted". An unwanted or undesirable person. In diplomatic contexts, a person rejected by the government where they have been sent.
- "After this, therefore because of this" (a fallacy).
- "After noon" -- in the period from noon to midnight
- "after death"
- "First, do no harm"
- "Resist the beginnings"
- "For the public good" - a lawyer's work is said to be pro bono if he does not charge for it.
- "For the rate" (per hour for example)
- "For the time being"
- "We are dust and shadow" --- from Horace
Q
;Quære
- "(You might) ask. . ." Used to introduce questions, usually rhetorical or tangential questions.
- "A thing for a thing", i.e. a favor for a favor.
- "What now?" As a noun, a quidnunc is a busybody or a gossip.
- A line from Juvenal: "Who will watch the watchmen?"
- "Don't move settled things", or: "Don't rock the boat."
- "that which was to be demonstrated." This abbreviation is often written at the bottom of a completed proof.
- "Where are you going?" (according to Christian legend, St. Peter meeting Jesus on the Appian way in Rome asked: "Quo vadis, Domine", or "Where goest thou, Lord?")
- "which see". Abbreviated "q.v.". Associated with a term or phrase, it tells the reader to look up the term or phrase elsewhere in the current document or book.
R
;Rara avis
- "A rare bird", i.e. an extraodinary or unusual thing (from Juvenal's Satires: rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cycno, "a rare bird on the earth, and very like a black swan".)
- "Let the People rule"
- "Rest in peace"
- "the thing speaks for itself;" a phrase from the common law of torts that means negligence can be inferred from the fact that such an accident happened, without proof of exactly how.
- "The net is not extended to the kite;" Things (of the air) fall where they may.
- "Abundant laughs in the mouth of the foolish" - too much hilarity means foolishness
- "Redder than the rose, whiter than the lilies, fairer than everything, I will always glory in thee."
S
;Salus populi suprema lex esto
- "Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law." Motto of the American state of Missouri.
- "With truth preserved"
- "Dare to be wise"
- "Always faithful" -- the motto of the United States Marine Corps
- "Always prepared"
- "Thus", "just so". Used to state that quoted material appears exactly that way in the source, usually despite errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact.
- "Thus always to tyrants". Motto of the American state of Virginia and said to have been shouted by John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
- "Thus passes the glory of the world". A tradition during papal coronations is for a barefoot monk to interrupt the procession three times, holding a burning tow and after it goes out saying "Pater sancte [Holy Father], sic transit gloria mundi" to remind the new Pope that, despite the grand procession, he is still a mortal man.
- "Without year", used in bibliographies to indicate that the date of publication of a document is unknown.
- "Without place", used in bibliographies to indicate that the place of publication of a document is unknown.
- "Without name", used in bibliographies to indicate that the publisher of a document is unknown.
- "[The] Senate and People of Rome" -- the official name of the Roman Republic. The senate was the representative body of the aristocratic class, and people here referred to the non-aristocrats. "SPQR" was carried on battle standards by the Roman Legions.
- "Existing state of affairs" (from "statu quo ante", prior or current situation)
- "let it stand" - used as a marginal mark in proof reading to indicated that something deleted should be undeleted
- "under a judge", i.e. a case that cannot be publicly discussed until it is finished.
- "under penalty", i.e. on pain of punishment
- "under the rose," secretly (a rose was placed above a door to indicate that what was said in the room beyond was not to be repeated outside)
- literally meaning of its own gender/genus; in a class of its own
- "I am what you will be". A gravestone epitaph to remind the reader of the inevitability of death; the phrase is often completed with the balancing line Fui quod sis (I was what you are).
- "With the highest honor"
- "The supreme good"
- "They are all one"
- "Cobbler, no further than (your competence on) the sandal". It is said that Greek painter Apelles was one day painting a warrior but he was uncertain on how to render his sandals (crepida). He asked the advice of a cobbler (sutor), but after a time the cobbler started offering advice on other parts of the painting and was rebuked by Apelles with this phrase (but in Greek).
T
;Tabula rasa
- "Blank slate"; literally "a scraped slate" (Romans used to write on wax tablets, easy to erase). John Locke used the term to describe the human mind at birth before it had acquired any knowledge.
- "Solid ground"
- "Unknown land"
- "You, also." (See memento mori)
- "What you are, I was. What I am, you will be." (Literally: "I was you. You will be me.") This is found on graves and burial sites. The meaning is that the dead were once living, and the living will eventually die.
U
;Ubi mel ibi apes
- "Where honey, there bees", i.e., if you want support, you must offer something in return.
- "When, in reality..."
- "last reason" - the last resort
- "to the city [Rome] and to the globe" - a blessing of the pope
V
;Vade mecum
- "Come with me." A vade-mecum is an item one carries around, especially a handbook.
- "Woe to the conquered"
- "I came, I saw, I conquered" (Julius Caesar sent a message to the Roman senate which consisted only of these three words. It referred to his campaign against the King of Pontus)
- "By way of"
- "Middle path", often used of the Church of England, which was said to be a via media between the errors of Roman Catholicism and extreme Protestantism.
- "A reverse of order or meaning"
- "May he/she/it live, grow, and flourish!"
- "Long live the King!/Long live the Queen!"
- "That is; namely." Used to introduce examples, lists, or items. Usually appears abbreviated as viz.
- "A person who consents does not suffer injustice."
See also