Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Latin Sayings
Common Latin Sayings and translations
| 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.) |
Created by:
Karen Wanek
Popular Latin sets