Latin Words and Phrases Every Man Should Know
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| 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 artisan of his own fortune -- | |
| acta non verba | deeds, not words | |
| 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 -- 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 -- commonly used in the Southern United States as antebellum to refer to the period preceding the American Civil 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 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 | |
| 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 movie300 | |
| 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 | |
| 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? -- commonly associated with Plato | |
| 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. | |
| 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 |
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