Latin | English |
Ab ovo usque ad mala | From first to last (literally, “from the egg to the apples,” meaning from the first course until dessert) |
Ab urbe condita | From the building of the city (Rome) |
Ad hominem | To the man |
Ad nauseam | To the point of disgust |
Ad vitam aut ad culpam | Till the end of life or until found guilty (e.g., “they will hold office ad vitam aut ad culpam”) |
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi | Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. |
Alea iacta est | The die has been cast (Julius Caesar, crossing the Rubicon) |
Alma mater | Nurturing mother |
Amor omnia vincit | Love conquers all (Virgil) |
Anno Domini, A.D. | In the year of our Lord |
Ante bellum | Before the war (War between the States) |
Amor omnia vincit | Love conquers all (Virgil) |
Anno Domini, A.D. | In the year of our Lord |
Ante bellum | Before the war (War between the States) |
Ante meridiem (a.m.) | Before the middle of the day (morning) |
Aqua vitae | The water of life |
Arma virumque cano | I sing of arms and a man (Virgil) |
Ars gratia artis | Art for the sake of art (M.G.M.’s motto) |
Ars longa, vita brevis | Art is long, life is short |
Aut disce aut discede | Either learn or leave |
Ave atque vale | Hello and goodbye (lit. hail and farewell) |
Ave atque vale in perpetuum | Hail and farewell for all time |
Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutamus! (Roman gladiators) | Hail, Caesar, we who are about to die, salute you! |
Bis in die (b.i.d.) | Twice in a day |
Bona fide | With good faith |
Caelum et terra | Heaven and earth |
Carpe crustulum | Seize the cookie |
Carpe diem | Seize the day (Horace) |
Carthago delenda est! | Carthage must be destroyed! (Cato the Elder) |
Caveat emptor | Let the buyer beware |
Cave canem | Beware of the dog (found in Pompeii) |
Centum (C) | A hundred |
Cogito ergo sum | I think, therefore I am (Descartes) |
Compara (cp.) | Compare |
Confer (cf.) | Compare |
Corpus delicti | The body of the crime |
Credenda/Agenda | Things to be believed/Things to be done |
Cum grano salis | With a grain of salt |
De facto | Actually, in fact, in reality |
De gustibus non est disputandum | There is no disputing about tastes |
Dei gratia | By the grace of God |
De mortuis nil nisi bonum | Do not speak ill of the dead (lit. of the dead, say nothing except what is good) |
Deo gratias | Thanks be to God |
Dies Irae | The wrath (anger) of God |
Dum spiro, spero | While I breathe, I hope |
Errare est humanum | To err is human |
Et alii (et al.) | And others |
Et cetera (etc.) | And others |
Et tu, Brute? | And you, Brutus? (Gr: Kai su, pais?—and you, child?) |
Exempli gratia (e.g.) | For the sake of example |
Famam extendimus factis | We spread our fame by our deeds |
Festina lente | Make haste slowly |
Gens togata | The toga-clad nation |
Habeas corpus (ad subiciendum) | You may allow the prisoner (to be handed over for pre-trial determination) |
Hannibal ad portas! | Hannibal at the gates! |
Hic iacet… | Here lies… |
Hodie Christus natus est | Today Christ is born |
Ibidem (ibid.) | The same (place cited) |
Id est (i.e.) | That is |
Ignorantia legis neminem excusat | Ignorance of the law excuses no one. |
In hoc signo, vinces | In this sign, you will conquer (words and cross appeared to Constantine before the battle of Milan, A.D. 312) |
In loco parentis | In the place of the parents |
Ipse dixit | He himself said |
Ipso facto | By that very fact |
Labor omnia vincit | Work conquers all (Virgil) |
Lapsus linguae | Slip of the tongue |
Lex non scripta | Common law |
Magister artium (M.A.) | Master of arts |
Magnum opus | A great work |
Mater Italiae—Roma | The mother of Italy—Rome (Florus, historian) |
Mea culpa | My fault |
Mens sana in corpore sano | A healthy mind in a healthy body |
Miles Christi sum | I am a soldier of Christ |
Mille (M) | A thousand |
Mirabile dictum | Amazing to say |
Mirabile visu | Amazing to see |
Natura non facit saltum | Nature does not make leaps |
Ne credite equo | Do not trust the horse (i.e., don’t look a gift horse in the mouth—said by Laocoon the priest) |
Nil desperandum | Never despair (no cause for despairing) |
Nolo contendere | I don’t want to contest the charges (and I accept the penalty without admitting guilt) |
Nota bene (n.b.) | Note well |
Novus ordo seclorum | New order of the ages |
Nunc aut numquam | Now or never |
Ora et labora | Pray and work (St. Benedict) |
O tempora, O mores! | O the times, O the customs! (Cicero) |
Pax Romana | The Roman peace |
Pax vobiscum (sing: tecum) | Peace be with you |
Per annum | Annually |
Per diem | Daily |
Per se | Through itself, by itself |
Persona non grata | Unwelcome, fully unacceptable |
Philosophiae doctor (Ph.D.) | Doctor of philosophy |
Post meridiem (p.m.) | After the middle of the day (afternoon) |
Post mortem (P.M.) | After death |
Post scriptum (p.s.) | Written afterwards |
Prima luce | At first light (dawn) |
Pro bono | Something done out of good will with no charge |
Quid est (q.e.) | That which is |
Quid pro quo | One thing for another |
Quod erat demonstrandum | (Q.E.D.) That which was to be proved |
Quo modo | In what manner |
Quo vadis? | Where are you going? |
Quo vide (q.v.) | Which see |
Rara avis | A rare bird |
Repetitio mater studiorum | Repetition is the mother of learning |
Requiescat in pace (R.I.P.) | Rest in peace |
Retro Satana | Get thee behind me, Satan (Jesus Christ) |
Rident stolidi verba Latina. | Fools laugh at the Latin language (Ovid) |
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth | Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts |
Scientia est potentia | Knowledge is power |
Scilicet (sc./scii.—scire licet) | Actually |
Semper fidelis | Always faithful (motto of the marines) |
Semper paratus | Always prepared (motto of the coast guard) |
Senatus Populusque Romanus | S.P.Q.R. The Senate and the People of Rome |
Sic semper tyrannis! | Thus always to tyrants! (John Wilkes Booth) |
Sic transit Gloria munda | So passes the glory of the world |
Signum crucis | The sign of the cross |
Sine die | Without a day set (e.g., “they adjourned sine die” means “they adjourned with a day set for another meeting”) |
Si vales, valeo (S.V.V.) | If you are strong/well, I am strong/well (letter greeting) |
Status quo | The existing state of affairs (the way things are now) |
Stupor mundi | Wonder of the world |
Summa cum laude | With highest praise |
Summum bonum | The highest good |
Suum cuique | To each his own |
Tempus fugit | Time flies |
Terra firma | Solid ground |
Terra incognito | Unknown territory |
Tolle lege | Take and read (St. Augustine) |
Vade retro | Get thee behind me [Satan] (Jesus Christ) |
Veni, vidi, vici | I came, I saw, I conquered (Julius Caesar, Asia Minor) |
Verbum satis sapienti est | A word to the wise is enough (abbreviated: verbum sap A word to the wise) |
Versus (vs.) | Against, in contrast to |
Vox populi, vox Dei. | The voice of the people is the voice of God. (Roman proverb.) |
E pluribus unum | One out of many |
Audemus Iura Nostra Defendere | We dare to defend our rights
Alabama |
Ditat Deus | God Enriches
Arizona |
Regnant Populi | The people rule
Arkansas |
Nil sine Numine | Nothing without Providence
Colorado |
Qui Transtulit Sustinet | He who transplated still sustains
Conneticut |
Esto perpetua | May she be perpetual
Idaho |
Ad astra per aspera | Kansas
To the stars through difficulties |
Dirigo | I direct
Maine |
Ense petit placidam sub libertatem quietem | By the sword she seeks peace but only under liberty
Massachusetts |
Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice | If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you
Michigan |
Virtute et armis | By valor and arms
Mississippi |
Salus populi suprema lex esto | Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law
Missouri |
Crescit Eundo | It grows as it grows
New Mexico |
Excelsior | Ever higher
New York |
Esse quam vincit | To be rather than to seem
North Carolina |
Labor omnia vincit | Labor conquers all things
Oklahoma |
Dum spiro spero | While I breathe, I hope
South Carolina |
Animis Opibusque Parati | Prepare in mind and resources
South Carolina |
Sic semper tyrannis | Thus always to tyrants
Virginia |
Montani semper libri | Mountaineers are always freemen
West Virginia |
Iustitia omnibus | Justice to all
District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) |