Latin Phrases in Common Usage in English

This page was last updated on May 14, 2020

The following table is a list of some Latin Phrases in common English usage. The list is not comprehensive; rather it represents phrases I have encountered in various readings and research. Please send any comments to nsalway@sasktel.net. However, caveat lector: While I enjoy challenges, I am not a translator and can’t help with translations

Therefore, DO NOT SEND ME ANY REQUESTS FOR TRANSLATION.

If the desired phrase is not here, one might try finding a copy of Latin for the Illiterati, Exorcizing the Ghosts of a Dead Language, by Jon R. Stone, published by Routledge, 1996. This is an excellent source of Latin translations.

Another excellent source of phrases is A Dictionary of Latin Words and Phrases, by James Morwood, published by Oxford University Press, 1998.

Other web sites offering translated Latin phrases include the following:

Legends and Inscriptions on British Coins

The Phrases

A to E

F to O

P to Z

A Mari Usque Ad Mare	From sea to sea (Motto of Canada)
A Posteriori	Reasoning from effects to causes
A Priori	Reasoning from causes to effects
Ad Astra	To the stars
Ad Eundem	Of admission to the same degree at a different university
Ad Hoc	For this purpose
Ad hominem	To the individual. Relating to the principles or preferences of a particular person, rather than to abstract truth. Often used to describe a personal attack on a person.
Ad Libitum	At one's pleasure, usually abbreviated ad lib
Ad Litem	For a lawsuit or action
Ad Nauseam	To a sickening extent
Ad Referendum	Subject to reference
Ad Rem	To the point
Ad Vitam	For life
Ad Vitam Aeternam	For all time
Ad Vitam Paramus	We are preparing for life (My high school's motto!)
Agnus Dei	Lamb of God
Alea iacta est	The die is cast. Spoken by Julius Caesar as his troops crossed the Rubicon River in 49 B.C.E.
Anno Domini	In the year of our Lord. Usually abbreviated A.D. (ablative of time)
Annuit Coeptis	He (God) has favoured our undertakings (part of the great seal of the United States, usually seen on the back of a U.S one dollar bill)
Annus Bisextus	Leap year
Ante Bellum	Before the war. Usually used to describe the United States before the U.S. Civil War (1861-65). Typically spelled antebellum in English.
Ante Meridiem	Before noon. Usually abbreviated A.M.
Armis Exposcere Pacem	They demanded peace by force of arms. An inscription seen on medals.
Ars Gratia Artis	Art for art's sake. The motto of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Audere Est Facere	To dare is to do. Motto of the British football team, Tottenham Hotspur ('Spurs)
Bona Fide	In good faith, sincerely
Carpe Diem	Enjoy the day; pluck the day when it is ripe. Seize the day.
Caveat Emptor	Let the buyer beware
Ceteris Paribus	All things being equal
Cogito Ergo Sum	I think, therefore I am (Rene Descartes)
Corpus Delicti	Literally the body of the crime. The substance or fundamental facts of crime.
Cum Catapultae Proscriptae Erunt Tum Soli Proscripti Catapultas Habebunt	When catapults are outlawed, then only outlaws will have catapults.
De Mortibus Nil Nisi Bonum	Of the dead say nothing but good.
Dei Gratia	By the grace of God. This appears on all British, Canadian, and other British Commonwealth coins and is usually abbreviated D.G. (see Fidei Defensor and Indiae Imperator)
Desiderantes meliorem patriam	They desire a better country. Motto of the Order of Canada.
Deus Ex Machina	Literally God from a machine. Describes a miraculous or fortuitous turn of events in a work of fiction.
Deus Vobiscum	God be with you.
Dies Irae	Day of wrath; Day of judgement
Dies natalis	Birthday
Discere Docendo	To learn through teaching
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus	Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon. This is the motto of Harry Potter’s alma mater, Hogwart’s school of witchcraft and wizardry
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori	It is sweet and proper to die for one’s country. This is from Horace’s Odes. Dulce et decorum est is the title of a poem written by Wilfred Owen in 1917. The phrase is also enscribed in the entablature of the rear entrance of the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater.
Dum spiramus tuebimur	While we breathe, we shall defend. Motto of the U.S 133rd Field Artillery Regiment.
E Pluribus Unum	From many, one (Motto of United States of America)
Equitare, arcum tendere, veritatem dicere	To ride, to shoot [a bow], to tell the truth. The motto on the flyleaf of Karen Blixen’s novel, Out of Africa. The motto comes from Tacitus’s Latin translation of Herodotus’s history of the Persian wars.
Errare Humanum Est	To err is human
Et Alia	And others
Et Cetera	And the rest. Often abbreviated etc. or &c.
Ex Cathedra	From the chair, i.e. Speaking from a Bishop's seat or professional chair, speaking with authority. A Cathedra is the seat reserved for a Bishop in a cathedral.
Ex Gratia	Done or given as a favour and not under any compulsion
Ex Libris	From the Library (of).
Ex Officio	According to Office
Ex Post Facto	After the fact
Ex Tempore	Off the cuff, without preparation
Exempli Gratia	For the sake of example, for instance. Usually abbreviated e.g.
Exeunt Omnes	All go out. A common stage direction in plays
Return to Top F to O
Facta Non Verba	Deeds not words
Fide Suorum Regnat	"He reigns by the faith of his people" Inscription on the 1939 Canadian silver dollar, minted to commemorate the 1939 Royal tour.
Fidei Defensor	Defender of the Faith. This is usually abbreviated F.D. or Fid. Def. and appears on the obverse of British coins. (see Dei Gratia)
Flagrante Delicto	Literally while the crime is blazing. Caught red-handed, in the very act of a crime.
Floreat Regina	May the Queen flourish, or Long Live the Queen. The motto of the City of Regina, Saskatchewan Canada, the Queen City.
Gens una sumus	We are one people.
Gloria In Exelsis Deo	Literally, Glory to God in the highest. Highest in this phrase means heaven, i.e. Glory to God in Heaven
Habeas Corpus	Literally that you have a body. A writ requiring that a detained individual be brought before a court to decide the legality of that individual's detention.
Habemus Papam	We have a father. The cheer raised by the waiting crowds when a pope is elected.
Homo nudus cum nuda iacebat	Naked they lay together, man and woman. Quoted in The Name of the Rose, First day, Sext. Cum nuda is an ablative of accompaniment and nuda itself is an example of a substantive.
Ibid.	In the same place (in a book). Abbreviation for ibidem.
Ibidem	See ibid.
Id Est	That is to say. Usually abbreviated i.e.
Iesus	Jesus. There is no 'J' in classic Latin.
Iesus Hominum Salvator	Usually abbreviated IHS this means Jesus is the saviour of all people.
Iesus Nazerenus Rex Iudaeorum	Usually abbreviated INRI. The title card placed on Christ's cross by Pontius Pilate (John 19:19), it means Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
In Absentia	In their absence
In Actu	In practice
In Camera	In secret or private session; not in public
In Capite	In chief
In Extenso	At full length
In Extremis	In the last agonies
In Forma Pauperis	In the form of a poor person; in a humble or abject manner
In Infinitum	To infinity; without end
In Limine	On the threshold, at the very outset
In Loco	In the place of
In Loco Parentis	In the place of a parent
In Medias Res	Into the midst of affairs
In Memoriam	To the memory of
In Nubibus	In the clouds; not yet settled
In Partibus Infidelium	In parts inhabited by unbelievers
In Perpetuum	To all time
In Pontificalibus	In the proper vestments of a pope or cardinal
In Propria Persona	In his or her own person
In Situ	In its original place; in position
In Statu Quo	In the same state
In Terrorem	As a warning; in order to terrify others
In Toto	As a whole, absolutely, Completely
In Transitu	In passing, on the way
In Utero	In the uterus
In Vacuo	In a vacuum or empty space
In Vino Veritas	Truth comes out under the influence of alcohol.
In Vitro	In a test tube (literally glass)
In Vivo	Within the living organism
Indiae Imperator	Emperor of India. Usually abbreviated Ind. Imp. Appeared on the obverse of British and British Empire coins before 1948.
Integer Vitae Scelerisque Purus	Blameless of life and free from crime
Inter Alia	Amongst other things
Inter Alios	Amongst other persons
Inter Caesa et Porrecta	There's many a slip twixt cup and lip
Inter Nos	Between ourselves
Inter Partes	Made between two parties
Inter Pericula Intrepidi	Fearless in the face of Danger. Motto of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
Inter Se	Between or among themselves
Inter Vivos	Between living persons
Invictus Maneo	I remain undefeated
Ipse Dixit	Unproven assertion resting on the speaker's authority (literally He himself said)
Lapsus Linguae	A slip of the tongue
Lingua Franca	A common language
Lupus in Fabula	Speak of the devil
Lux Mea Christus	Christ is my light
Magna est veritas et praevalibit	Truth is great and it will prevail.
Manus in Mano	Hand in hand
Manus Manum Lavat	Literally Hand washes Hand. Taken to mean One hand washes the other or scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
Margaritas ante Porcos	Pearls before swine
Mea Culpa	Through my own fault
Mea Maxima Culpa	Through my very great fault
Mea navis aëricumbens anguillis abundant	My hovercraft is full of eels!
Melitae Amor	Love of Malta
Membrum Virile	The virile member; penis.
Memento Mori	A reminder of death, such as a skull (literally remember that you have to die)
Memento Vivere	A reminder of life (literally remember that you have to live)
Missa Solemnis	Literally, Solemn Mass. The High Mass.
Mitto tibi navem prora puppique carentem	I send you a ship without a bow or a stern. This is a rebus puzzle by Cicero. A ship, navem, without its first and last letter spells ave, which means greetings in Latin.
Mollia Tempora Fandi	Times favourable for speaking
Morior Invictus	I die undefeated
Mutatis Mutandis	With the necessary changes
Nihil Sub Sole Novum	Nothing new under the sun
Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo	Don’t Call me. I’ll Call You
Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum	Don't let the bastards grind you down. Not true Latin, as the words Bastardes and Carborundorum are not Latin words, like copacetic.
Non Compos Mentis	Not of sound mind.
Non Sequitur	An inference or conclusion which doesn't follow from its premises (literally It Does Not Follow)
Non Timetis Messor	Don't Fear the Reaper
Nosce te ipsum	Know thyself
Novus Ordo Seclorum	A new order of the ages (appears on the U.S. one-dollar bill)
Nunc Dimittis	Literally Now you send forth. Abbreviation of Luke 2:29.
Omnia Mihi Lingua Graeca Sunt	It's all Greek to me.
Optimus Parentibus		To my excellent parents. A common dedication in a book.
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Pater Noster			Our Father. The first words of the Lord's Prayer in Latin.
Per Accidens			By Accident
Per Annum			By the Year
Per Ardua Ad Astra			Through Difficulty To The Stars. Motto of the RCAF, RAF and RAAF.
Per Capita			By heads
Per Consequens			By Consequence
Per Contra			On the other side
Per Diem			By the day
Per Fas et Nefas			By right and wrong
Per Incurium			Through carelessness
Per Mensem			Every Month
Per Pares			By his peers
Per Procurationem			By Proxy or Deputy
Per Saltum			By a leap or all at once
Per Se			By or in itself
Per Stirpes			By stocks or families
Persona non Grata			Unacceptable Person
Post Coitem			After sexual intercourse
Post Mortem			After death
Post Partum			After childbirth
Post Scriptum			Written later. A postscript, usually abbreviated P.S.
Post Tenebras, Lux			After darkness, light
Praemonitus, Praemunitus			Forewarned is Forearmed
Prima Facie			At first sight; on the face of it.
Primus Inter Pares			First Among Equals
Pro Bono Publico			For the public good
Pro Forma			For form's sake
Pro Hac Vice			For this occasion only
Pro Rata			Proportionally
Pro Re Nata			For an occasion as it arises
Pro Tanto			So far
Pro Tempore			Temporarily
Quid Pro Quo			One thing for another; something for something
Quis Custodiet ipsos custodes			Who shall guard the guards?
Quo Vadis, Domine?			Where are you going, Lord?
Quod Vide			Which See, usually abbreviated q.v.
Quod Erat Demonstrandum			Which was to be demonstrated. Usually abbreviated Q.E.D.
Quod Erat Faciendum			Which was to be done.
Quod Erat Inveniendum			Which was to be found out.
Requiescat in Pace			May he rest in peace. Usually abbreviated R.I.P.
Res ipsa loquitur			Literally the thing speaks for itself. A principle in tort law that describes circumstances where negligence in an accident or injury can be inferred without direct evidence.
Romani Ite Domum			Romans go home!
Semper Fidelis			Always Faithful. Motto of the United States Marine Corps and H.M.S. Exeter
Senatus Populusque Romanus			The senate and people of Rome. Often abbreviated SPQR. Seen as a tattoo on Russell Crowe's left arm in the movie, Gladiator.
Sic Semper Tyrannis			Thus ever to tyrants. The motto of the State of Virginia. John Wilkes Booth is supposed to have shouted this phrase as he jumped to stage of Ford's Theater after shooting Abraham Lincoln.
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi			Thus passes away the glory of the world.
Sine Die			Without a day being specified
Sine Qua Non			Indispensable
Sperate Miseri Caveat Felices			When miserable, hope; When happy beware
Sub Poena			Under penalty of …. The source of the English word subpoena which is a writ issued by a court requiring one's attendance at that court.
Sub Rosa			Secretly or in confidence. Literally means under the rose.
Tam similis quam lac lacti est			as similar as milk is to milk, like two peas in a pod
Tempus Fugit			Time flies
Ubique Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt			Everywhere That Right And Glory Lead. Motto of the Royal Artillery and the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Ultima Ratio			Final sanction
Ultra Vires			Beyond the powers or legal authority
Ut humiliter opinor			In my humble opinion
Veni, Vidi, Vici			I came, I saw, I conquered
Ventis Secundis			Literally with favourable winds. With an aft (favourable) wind. The motto of H.M.S. Hood. These words were supposedly spoken by Admiral Sir Samuel Hood during the battle of Martinique.
Via Dolorosa			The way of sorrow. The route in Jerusalem followed by Jesus Christ to his crucifixion.
Vice Versa			The positions being reversed
Videlicet			That is to say; To wit; Namely
Vincit qui patitur			He conquers who endures
Vita mutatur, non tollitur			Life is changed, not taken away
Vivat Regina			Long live the queen
Vivat Rex			Long live the king
Viz.			Abbreviation of Videlicet

By way of postscript, the motto of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Maintiens le Droit, which is French, not Latin. It is translated variously as maintain the right, uphold the right, or uphold the law.

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