List of Latin phrases
This page includes English translations of less common Latin phrases (i.e., not always found in dictionaries), some of which are themselves translations from Greek.For a list of more formal proverbs, see: List of Latin proverbs. 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 bene placito
;A fortiori
;A pedibus usque ad caput
;A posteriori
- "From the latter" — based on observation, the reverse of a priori.
- "From the former" — presupposed, the reverse of a posteriori.
- "From here on"
- "From the depths of (my) chest" — i.e. "from my heart". Attributed to Julius Caesar.
- "From the beginning" — compare in media res; see also List of legal terms
- "From the origin"
- "From the eggs to the apples" i.e. from beginning to end (the Roman main meal traditionally began with an eggdish and ended with fruit)
- "From the founding of the city (of Rome)" — i.e. from 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.
- "May the presentiment not be realized."
- "The play is over, applaud!" common ending phrase of ancient Roman comedies
- "To appeal to the crowd" — often used of politicians who make false or insincere promises appealing to popular interest.
- "For this" — i.e. improvised, made up on the spot.
- "To the man" — usually, an argument criticizing the opponent's person rather than his ideas; or also an argument designed to appeal to personal interest rather than objective fact.
- "To infinity" — going on forever.
- "In the meantime" — as in the term "chargé d'affaires ad interim" for a diplomatic officer who acts in place of an ambassador.
- "To the Greek Kalends" — said by Emperor Augustus, in Suetonius, with the sense of "never". Kalends were part of the Roman calendar, not of the Greek, so the "Greek kalends" are "a date that will never happen".
- "At ease" — means "do as you please", "improvise", "just ramble on"; esp. in music partitures, theatrical scripts, etc..
- "Towards the light" — the motto of the University of Lisbon.
- "To the greater glory of God" — motto of the Jesuits.
- "To many years!" — i.e. "Many happy returns!"
- "To the point of nausea".
- "At the foot of the letter" — i.e. "exactly as it is written".
- "To the eternal memory [of]"
- "For usage of the Dauphin" — said of a work that has been expurgated of offensive or improper parts. The phrase originates from editions of Greek and Roman classics which Louis XIV had printed for his heir apparent, the Dauphin.
- "For own usage"
- "By the value" — e.g. ad valorem tax.
- "The Devil's Advocate" — said about someone who defends an unpopular view for the sake of discussion (without really meaning it).
- "Troubled dreams."
- "The die is cast" — said by Julius Caesar, in Suetonius, after his decision to defy Roman law by crossing the Rubicon with his troops. (Suetonius actually uses it in the future imperative "Alea iacta esto": "Be sure to cast the dice").
- "She flies with her own wings" - the Oregon state motto.
- "Nourishing mother" — term used for the university one attends/has attended. The word "matriculation" is derived from "mater". The term suggests that the students are "fed" knowledge and taken care of by the university.
- "Another I" — a pseudonym or a close associate who always acts on one's behalf.
- "Friend of the court" — an adviser, or a person who can obtain or grant access to the favour of powerful people (like Romana curia). In current U.S. legal usage, a third party allowed to submit a brief (an amicus brief) to the court.
- "In the year of the lord" — indicates a year counted from the traditional date birth of Jesus Christ; also called the Common Era (C.E.).
- "In the year from the founding of the city (Rome)" — see Ab urbe condita.
- "He [God] has approved our beginnings" - motto of the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States and on the back of the US one dollar bill
- "A horrible year" — used memorably by Queen Elizabeth II to describe what a bad year 1992 had been for her.
- "Before the letter" — said after an expression that described 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.
- "Before lunch" — i.e. before a meal. Used on pharmaceutical prescriptions.
- "The jackass of jackasses in the centuries of centuries" — i.e. "The greatest jackass in eternity."
- "Golden Mean" — in Horace's Odes, an ethical goal.
- "Accursed hunger for gold" — from Vergil, Aeneis 3,57; later quoted by Seneca: quod non mortalia pectora coges, auri sacra fames ("What aren't you able to bring men to do, miserable hunger for gold!")
- "Victory or death."
- "Hail and farewell!"
B
;Beati possidentes- "The happy who possess", translation of a quote from Euripides
- "In good faith."
- "Good services", a nation's offer to mediate in disputes between two other nations
- "General welfare."
- "Common good of man."
- Pseudo-Latin meaning "baffling puzzle" or "difficult point". John of Cornwall (ca. 1170) was once asked by a scribe what the word meant. It turns out that the original text said in diebus illis magnis plenæ ("in those days plenty of great things"), which the scribe misread as indie busillis magnis plenæ ("in India there were plenty of large busillis")... [1].
C
;Cacoethes scribendi- "Bad habit of writing" — i.e. an insatiable urge to write. From Juvenal.
- "Other things being equal."
- "Event (that is cause or justification) for war."
- "Beware of the dog" — found written on a floor mosaic depicting a dog, at the entrance of a Roman house excavated at Pompei [1].
- "Let the buyer beware" — i.e. the purchaser of the goods is responsible for checking whether they suit his need.
- "Let the reader beware" — i.e. the writer does not vouch for the accuracy of a text. Probably a recent calque on caveat emptor.
- "Let the seller beware" — the seller of goods is responsible for providing information about the goods to the purchaser.
- "The rest is missing."
- "All other things being equal."
- "In conclusion, I think that..." — Cato the Elder used to conclude his speeches, on any topic whatsoever, with Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam ("In conclusion, I think that Carthage must be destroyed").
- "Christ the King."
- "Faster, higher, stronger" — Motto of the modern Olympics.
- "Around" — in the sense of "approximately, about"; usually of a date, e.g. "Jesus was actually born circa 6 B.C"
- "Of sound mind" — sometimes used rather humorously.
- "Condition without which not" — i.e. "indispensable".
- "Compare" — used as an abbreviation in text to recommend a comparison with another thing.
- "Helvetian Confederation" — the official name of Switzerland, which explains the use of "ch" for its ISO country code and Internet domain.
- "It is completed" — In the Latin translation of John 19:30, the last words of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
- "Contempt of the secular (world)" — the monk's or philosopher's rejection of mundane life and values.
- "Body of Christ."
- "Body of the crime" — the body of facts that prove a crime.
- "Vile body" — a person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment.
- "Good for whom?" — 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.
- "With sword and staff" — from the Bible.
- "With a grain of salt" — i.e. not to be taken too seriously.
- "With honors."
- "Course of life" — a résumé.
D
;Damnant quod non intellegunt- "They condemn what they do not understand."
- "In fact" — Said of something that actually is the case. Often the implication is that it isn't the case of necessity (de jure) or that it is supposed not to be the case; e.g. "The Shogun was the de facto ruler of Japan."
- "By law."
- "Anew."
- "A god from a machine" — a contrived or artificial solution, usually to a literary plot. Refers to the practice in Greek drama of lowering by machine an actor playing Zeus onto the stage — as though he were descending from Olympus — to resolve an awkward plot.
- "The said is enough for the wise" — understandable for a wise one without the need for explanations (Plautus), also as: sat sapienti and sapienti sat.
- "Day of wrath."
- "Members of a dismembered poet" i.e. "the scattered remnants of the poet" (Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62), battered poetry.
- "People of the play" — the characters represented in a dramatic work; cast.
- "Bring with You" — see subpoena duces tecum.
- "Sweet and useful."
E
;E pluribus unum- "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 Jesus Christ crowned with thorns to the crowd.
- "First edition."
- "From merit" — often used to refer to a retired professor.
- "To be, rather than to seem" — motto of the U.S. state of North Carolina.
- "Let it be everlasting" — used by the historian Fra Paolo Sarpi of his native Venice.
- "And others" — used to abbreviate a list of names (Alii is actually masculine, so it can be used for men, or mixed men and women; the feminine et aliae is appropriate when the "others" are all female.)
- "And the rest" — nowadays also "and others", "and so on", "and more".
- "I, also, am in Arcadia" — see memento mori.
- "And thou, Brutus?" — literal quotation from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. He renders as Latin in an English play what was originally quoted as Greek supposedly spoken by a Roman. But 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.) However it is unlikely that Caesar actually said these words.
- "From the heart" — i.e. "sincerely".
- "From before" — "beforehand", "before the event", i.e. 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.
- "From God."
- "From the hypothesis" — i.e. by hypothesis.
- "From the books (library) of..."
- "From nothing" — Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions holds that God created the universe from nothing.
- "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.
- "By (or for) one party" — a legal term.
- "From after the fact" — of a law with retroactive effect.
- "By definition."
- "Higher" — i.e. "ever upward!"
- "For the sake of example", "for example."
- "They leave" — see exit.
- "They all leave" — see exit.
- "He/she leaves" — used e.g. in theatrical stage directions.
- "Critical experiment" — a decisive test of a scientific theory.
F
;Fiat lux (et facta est lux)- "Let there be light (and there was light)" — from Genesis.
- "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
;Habeas corpus- "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 in a Catholic Church conclave to announce a successful ballot to elect a new pope.
- "Here lies..." — written on gravestones or tombs.
- "Here is buried..."
- "For the sake of honor" — said of an honorary title, e.g., Doctor of Science honoris causa.
- "I only count the sunny hours" — common inscription on sundials.
- "Horrible to say" — i.e. "an horrible thing to relate."
I
;Ibidem (ibid.)- "In the same place" — usually in bibliographic citations.
- "That is (to say)", abbreviated as "i.e." — sometimes "in this case," depending on the context. When celebrating this holiday (i.e. Christmas), hang a wreath on your door. It is not equivalent to "e.g.", in any context.
- "In the image of God" — a religious concept.
- "In imitation of God" — a principle, held by several religions, that believers should strive to resemble their god(s).
- "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.
- "(It) may be printed" — an authorization to publish, granted by some censoring authority (originally a Catholic Bishop).
- "In the absence" — e.g. of a trial carried out in the absence of the accused.
- "In two (copies)"
- "In (the form of) an image" — as opposed to "in the flesh" or "in person".
- "In long (form)" — i.e. "in full", "completely", "unabridged."
- "To faith" — to the verification of
- "Finally."
- "In bloom."
- "In flaming crime" — i.e. "caught red-handed."
- "In forum" — in court.
- "At that time", found often in the Gospel lecture during the Mass. It is used to mark a time in a indetermined past.
- "At the place" — as e.g., "the water samples were analyzed in loco."
- "In place of the parents" — Legal term, "assuming custodial/parental responsibility and authority".
- "In your hands I command my spirit", according to Luke 23:46 the last words of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
- "Into the middle things" — by Horace, refers to the poetic technique of beginning a narrative poem at a late point in the story, after much action has already taken place. Examples include the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Paradise Lost. Compare ab initio.
- "In memory of" — i.e. to remember or honor a deceased person.
- "In a nutshell."
- "The the land of the infidels" — infidels here refers to non-Catholics. After Islam conquered a big part of the Roman Empire, the corresponding bishoprics didn't disappear, but remained as honorific titles.
- "In the nature of things."
- "In safety."
- "In silicon", an experiment or process performed as a computer simulation. Compare with in vitro and in vivo.
- "At the moment of birth" — just as something is about to begin.
- "In place" — in the original place, position, or arrangement.
- "In all" — "totally", "completely".
- "In three (copies)."
- "In glass" — an experiment or process performed in a non-natural laboratory setting, for example in a test tube.
- "In life" — an experiment or process performed in a living specimen, as opposed to in vitro.
- "Incredible to say."
- "List of prohibited books" — a list of books considered heretic by the Catholic Church.
- "Among other things."
- "Among others". Title of a papal bull.
- "Between hope and fear."
- "Between the living" — said of property transfers between living persons, as opposed to inheritance; often relevant to tax laws.
- "Untouched by life and free of wickedness" — by Horace, used as a funeral hymn.
- "Within the walls" — i.e. "not public".
- "In the manner of the Dauphin" — rare variant of ad usum Delphini.
- "He, himself, has spoken" — emphasizes that some assertion comes from some authority. See appeal to authority.
- "The words themselves, verily" — i.e. "strictly word by word."
- "By the fact itself."
- "Thus (it is) true" — i.e. "thus indeed". A useful phrase, as the Romans had no word for "yes".
- "Leave, the mass is finished" — the final words of the Roman Missal.
- "By united efforts."
- "Right of the first night" — the droit de seigneur.
L
;Lapsus calami- "A slip of the pen."
- "A slip of the tongue."
- "Memory lapse."
- "Forced share" — a legal term describing the portion of an deceased person's estate from which the immediate family cannot be disinherited.
- "Law of retaliation" — cf. Retributive justice, an eye for an eye.
- "A classic place" — a quote from a classical text used as an example of something.
- A mangled fragment from Cicero's De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum ("On the Ends (Limits) of Good and Evil," 45 BC), used as typographer's filler to show fonts (a.k.a greeked text).
M
;Magna cum laude- "With great honor."
- "Great work" — said (sometimes ironically) of someone's masterpiece.
- "In bad faith" — said of an act done with knowledge of its illegality, or with intention to defraud or mislead someone.
- "Wrong in itself" — a crime that is inherently wrong; cf. malum prohibitum.
- "Prohibited wrong" — something that society decided to forbid, but is 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 working" — usually used to describe a criminal's methods.
- "Method of adding" — loosely "method of affirming", a logical rule of inference, saying that from proposition P and if P then Q one can conclude Q.
- "Method of subtracting" — loosely "method of denying", a logical rule of inference, saying that from propositions not Q and if P then Q one can conclude not P.
- "Way to life" — i.e. an accommodation between disagreeing parties to allow life to go on.
- "Much in little" — e.g. "Latin phrases are often multum in parvo, because they convey much in few words."
- "Changing what is to be changed" — i.e., "with the appropriate changes".
N
;Nemine contradicente (nem. con.)- "Without contestation" — used especially in committees, where a matter may be passed nem. con..
- "Nothing prevents" — a notation, usually on a title page, indicating that a Catholic censor has reviewed the book and found nothing objectionable to faith or morals in its content. See also imprimatur.
- "Willing or not."
- "Touch me not" — according to the Gospel of John, this was said by Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection.
- "Not willing to prosecute" — a legal motion by a prosecutor or other plaintiff to drop legal charges, usually in exchange for a diversion program or out-of-court settlement.
- "Name unknown" — i.e. "unknown person."
- "Of unsound mind."
- "Notwithstanding the verdict" — a legal motion asking the court to reverse the jury's verdict on the grounds that the jury could not reasonably have reached such a verdict.
- "It does not follow" — a statement that is the result of faulty logic.
- "I will not serve."
- "Note it well" — i.e. "please note", "important note."
- "New Order of the Ages" — motto on the Great Seal of the United States; from Vergil.
- "No thing born" — i.e. "nothing". It has been claimed that this expression is the origin of Italian nulla, French rien, and Spanish/Portuguese nada, all with the same meaning.
- "Closed number."
O
;O tempora, O mores! ;Oderint dum metuant- "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.
- "I hate (her), and I love (her)" — from Catullus.
- "Theological hatred" — a name for the special hatred generated in theological disputes.
- "All works" — the collected works of some author.
- "Posthumous works" — i.e. published after the author's death.
- "In work (already) cited" — used in academic works when referring again to the last source mentioned or used.
- "A snake in the grass" — any hidden danger or unknown risk.
P
;Pace tua- "With your permission."
- "Bread and circus plays" — Juvenal, Satires 10, 81, 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, simultaneously, etc..
- "The mountains are in labour, and a ridiculous mouse shall be born" — i.e. "much ado about nothing"; from Horace.
- "Throughout", "here and there", "frequently" — of a word that occurs several times in a cited texts; also, in proof reading, of a change that is to be repeated everywhere needed.
- "Father of the family."
- "Father, I have sinned" — the traditional beginning of a Catholic confession.
- "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" — the peace forcefully imposed by the Roman Empire.
- "Peace be with you (singular)."
- "Peace be with you (plural)."
- "Per year."
- "By letter."
- "Per head" — i.e. "per person".
- "by [the] court."
- Through the agency (of) — used to indicate that a person is signing a document on behalf of another person (correctly placed before the name of the person signing, but often placed before the name of the person on whose behalf the document is signed, sometimes through incorrect translation of the alternative abbreviation "per pro." as "for and on behalf of").
- "By itself" or "in itself" — i.e. without referring to anything else, intrinsically, taken without qualifications, etc.; for instance, negligence per se.
- "Per branch" — used in willss to indicate that each branch of the testator's family should inherit equally; contrast per capita.
- "Thing in perpetual motion."
- "Person not wanted" — an unwanted or undesirable person. In diplomatic contexts, a person rejected by the host government. (Unwelcome, banned)
- "Begging the principle" — i.e. "begging the question"; a logical fallacy.
- "Pious desires."
- "Pious betrayal" — expression from Ovid used to describe betrayal which serves Church purposes.
- "The greatest high priest" — a traditional epithet of the pope.
- "Power of the county".
- "After the fact." (see ex post facto)
- "After this, therefore because of this" — a logical fallacy.
- "After noon" — in the period from noon to midnight.
- "After death."
- "Post script" used to mark additions to a letter, after the signature.
- "First, do no harm." — A medical precept, attributed to Hippocrates.
- "First among equals" — a title of the Roman emperors.
- "For the (public) good" — said of a lawyer's work that is not charged for.
- "for this occasion" — request of a state court to allow an out-of-state lawyer to represent a client. (see List of legal terms)
- "For hard work and labor."
- "For the rate" — e.g. per hour.
- "For the time (being)" — i.e. "temporary."
- "The uninitiated masses" — from Horace.
- "By own hand."
- "The outstanding point" — i.e. the essential or most notable point.
Q
;Quære- "(You might) ask..." — used to introduce questions, usually rhetorical or tangential questions.
- "What's new out of Africa?" — derived from an Aristotle quote.
- "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.
- "Where are you going?" — according to Christian legend, asked by St. Peter meeting Jesus on the Appian way in Rome.
- "Which see" — used after a term or phrase that should be looked up elsewhere in the current document or book.
- "That which was to be demonstrated" — often written (abbreviated) at the bottom of a mathematical proof.
- "Where the prover errs" — a pun on Quod erat demonstrandum.
- "For how much longer?" — from Cicero's speech to the Roman senate regarding the conspiracy of Catiline: Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? i.e. "For how much longer, Catilina, will you abuse our patience?".
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").
- "Legal foundation."
- "Reduction to absurdity" — a technique of argument that proves the thesis by showing that its opposite is absurd or logically untenable. This is an oft-used method of proof in mathematics and philosophy.
- "Let the People rule."
- "May he rest in peace" — a benediction for the dead. Often inscribed on tombstones or other grave markers.
- "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 thing speaks for itself, but what the hell did it say?" — a sarcastic pseudo-Latin commentary on res ipsa loquitur, reminding the listener that we must still interpret the significance of events that "speak for themselves."
- Literally, "Judged thing" — i.e. matter which has been decided by a court. Commonly, the legal concept that once a matter has been finally decided by the courts it cannot be litigated again. See also Double jeopardy
- "Nobody's thing" — i.e. goods without owner.
- "Redder than the rose, whiter than the lilies, fairer than everything, I will always glory in thee."
S
;Saltus in demonstrando- "Leap in demonstration."
- "With truth preserved."
- "Except for errors and omissions" — appears on statements of "account currents".
- "Excluding the title" — used in writings to unfamiliar persons, as an excuse for not using the correct title.
- "Servant of the servants of God" — a title for the Pope.
- "Always faithful" — motto of the United States Marine Corps, often abbreviated Semper Fi.
- "Always prepared" — the motto of the United States Coast Guard.
- "The Senate and the People of Rome" — i.e. "The Aristocrats and the Commoners", the official name of the Roman Republic. "SPQR" was carried on battle standards by the Roman Legions.
- "Words a foot and a half long" — long and complicated words that are used without necessity.
- "Thus", "just so" — states that the preceding quoted material appears exactly that way in the source, usually despite errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact.
- "Thus to the stars" — that's how to achieve fame.
- "thus in various places" — used when referencing books; see passim.
- "Without year" — used in bibliographies to indicate that the date of publication of a document is unknown.
- "Without a (set) day" — originally from old common law texts, where it indicates that a final, dispositive order has been made in the case: there is nothing left for the court to do, so no date for further proceedings is set.
- "Without anger or bias" — impartially. From Cornelius Tacitus, Annals 1,1.
- "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.
- "May the earth rest lightly on you" — a benediction for the dead, often inscribed on tombstones or other gravestones.
- "With apologies for the word" — i.e. "pardon my French."
- "On standing foot" — immediately.
- "The state that was (before)" — the status of affairs or situation prior to some upsetting event.
- "Let it stand" — marginal mark in proofreading to indicate that something previously deleted or marked for deletion should be retained.
- "In the strict sense."
- "Of own accord." — motto of the U.S. Army Rangers.
- "Under a judge" — said of a case that cannot be publicly discussed until it is finished.
- "Bring with you under penalty" — legal writ requiring appearance with documents, etc..
- "Under penalty" — of a request (usually by a court) that must be complied to 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).
- "From eternity's point of view." (Spinoza, Ethics)
- Of its (own) kind — in a class of its own.
- Of one's own right — capable of (legal) responsiblity; legal and ecclesiastical use.
- "I am what you will be / I was what you are" — gravestone incriptions that remind the reader of the inevitability of death. Also see Tu fui, ego eris.
- "With the highest honor."
- "The supreme good."
- "The supreme evil."
- "They are all one."
T
;Tabula rasa- "Scraped tablet" — i.e. "a blank slate". Romans used to write on wax-covered wooden tablets, which were erased by scraping with the flat end of the stylus. John Locke used the term to describe the human mind at birth before it had acquired any knowledge.
- "List of congratulations."
- "As such"
- "Somewhat"
- "The Heroic Age."
- "Solid ground."
- "Unknown land."
- "Empty land."
- "No third is given" — logical axiom that a claim is either true or false, with no third option.
- "Truce of God" — a decree by the medieval Church that all feuds should be cancelled during the Sabbath (effectively from wednesday or thursday night until monday).
- "You, also" — see memento mori.
- "I was you, you will be me" — i.e. "What you are, I was; what I am, you will be."; a gravestone inscription to remind the reader that death is unavoidable.
- "You too, son" — attributed to Julius Caesar; see Et tu, Brute.
U
;Ubi re vera ... or ubi revera ...- "Where(as), in reality ..."
- Where they make a wasteland, they call it peace" — Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, Agricola, ch. 30.
- "Last argument" — the last resort. Louis XIV, King of France, had Ultima Ratio Regum ("The last resort of kings") engraved on the cannons of his armies.
- "One of many" — an average person.
- "To the city (of Rome) and to the globe" — standard opening of Roman proclamations; also a traditional blessing by the Pope.
- "So that they might drink, since they refused to eat" — from a story by Suetonius (Vit. Tib. 2.2) and Cicero (De Natura Deorum, 2.3). The phrase was said by Roman admiral Publius Claudius Pulcher, right before the battle of Drepana, as he threw overboard the sacred chickens which had refused to eat the grain offered them — an unwelcome omen of bad luck. So the sense is "if they do not perform as expected, they must suffer the consequences".
- "As below."
- "As backwards" or "as on the back side" — i.e. "as above" or "as on the previous page".
- "As above."
V
;Vade mecum- "Go with me" — a vade-mecum or vademecum is an item one carries around, especially a handbook.
- "Go back!" — i.e. "step back!", "begone!" Publius Terent, Formio I, 4, 203.
- "Go back, Satan!" — implied meaning "go away, do not dare to tempt me!". From a popular Medieval Catholic exorcism formula, apparently based on a rebuke by Jesus to Peter in the Vulgate, Mark 8:33: vade retro me, Satana. ("step back from me, Satan!").
- "I came, I saw, I conquered" — the full text of a message sent by Julius Caesar to the Roman senate, to describe his battle against King Pharnakles of Pontus near Zela in 47 BC.
- "The true cause (of)."
- "Word by word and letter by letter."
- "Servant of the word of God" — i.e. a priest.
- "Against" — as in "Good versus Evil."
- "By way (of)."
- "Middle path" — the Church of England was said to be a via media between the errors of Roman Catholicism and the extremes of Protestantism.
- "With places exchanged" — i.e. "in reverse order", "conversely".
- "See below."
- "See above."
- "one may see" — used to introduce examples or a listing of something just named. (Videlicet is not Latin, it is an English contraction.)
- "God's vision."
- "Life before the events" — i.e. a previous life
- "May he/she/it live, grow, and flourish!"
- "Long live the Queen!"
- "Long live the King!"
- "The voice of one shouting in the desert" — thus "unheeded", "in vain."