50 Latin Phrases You Should Know - DAILY WRITING TIPS (2024)

by Mark Nichol

Latin expressions are often adopted into English, often with an extended or figurative meaning. Here are fifty of the most common phrases, followed by their literal translation in Latin and the meaning in English (omitted when the meaning follows the literal translation).

1. a posteriori (from the latter): based on experience
2. a priori (from the earlier): independent of experience
3. ad hoc (for this): said of something created or formed for a special case
4. ad infinitum (to infinity): something that keeps going forever
5. alea jacta est (the die is cast): said when a plot is set into motion
6. ars longa, vita brevis (art is long, life is short)
7. casus belli: (cause of war): where the blame lies
8. caveat emptor (let the buyer beware): a reference to the principle that a customer is responsible for making sure that a product is in good working order
9. compos mentis (of healthy mind): sane
10. ex cathedra (from the chair): with the full authority of office (often used in reference to the Catholic pope’s infallibility, but also employed in other contexts)
11. ex post facto (after the fact): realized with hindsight
12. de facto (from fact): something that happens in practice but is not necessarily established by law
13. de jure (from law): the contrary of de facto; something established by law
14. dies irae (day of judgment)
15. dramatis personae (persons of the drama): refers to a list of actors, or to the principal participants of an event or in a group
16. genius loci (guardian spirit): the character of a place
17. honoris causa (for the sake of the honor): an honorary degree
18. horribile dictu (horrible to say)
19. in extremis (in the farthest reaches): in a difficult situation, or at the point of death
20. in flagrante delicto (in the burning crime): caught in the act
21. in medias res (into the middle of things): in the midst of action (said of the opening of a story or account)
22. in situ (in that place): in its original place
23. in toto (as a whole)
24. ipso facto (by the very fact): because of that fact
25. inter alia (among other things)
26. mea culpa (I am responsible): forgive me
27. memento mori (remember that you must die): a reminder of mortality
28. mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body)
29. mirabile dictu (amazing to say)
30. modus operandi (method of operating): way of working (also MO)
31. ne plus ultra (none more beyond): without equal, the greatest degree
32. non sequitur (it does not follow): said of something that does not logically relate to what came before
33. nota bene (note well): take note (also NB)
34. o tempora o mores (oh, the times, oh, the morals): said in criticism of behavior
35. omnia vincit amor (love conquers all)
36. panem et circenses (bread and circuses): said of things offered to the masses to distract them from what they should attend to for their own benefit
37. per se (by itself)
38. post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this): effect follows cause
39. prima facie (at first look): based on the first impression, or accepted as correct until proved otherwise
40. primus inter pares (first among equals)
41. pro forma (for form): for the sake of appearances or form
42. quid pro quo (this for that): something given in exchange for something else (hence quid, the nickname for the pound in UK currency)
43. quis custodiet ipsos custodes (who watches the watchers?): who shall protect us against those who (supposedly) protect us?
44. sic transit gloria mundi (thus passes the glory of the world): fame is fleeting in this world
45. sine qua non (without which thing . . . not): said of something indispensable
46. sub rosa (under the rose): happening or done in secret
47. sui generis (in its own class): unique
48. tabula rasa (scraped tablet): blank slate (the concept of the human mind before it receives impressions from experience)
49. tempus fugit (time flies)
50. terra firma (solid ground): often used figuratively to refer to certainty
51. vox populi (voice of the people)

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11 thoughts on “50 Latin Phrases You Should Know”

1. What a great list! There is a typo on #21, however, which should read, “in medias res.”

2. And one more typo on #3, which should read: “Alea jacta est”. Alea in Latin is feminine, while “jactus” is the masculine inflection.

3. A useful list of phrases to know, but it’s best to avoid using nearly all of them.

4. What a great list. And then there are the Latin phrases we know mostly through their abbreviations: i.e., e.g., ibid., loc. cit., op. cit., and the ever popular etc.

5. How about Queen Elizabeth’s famous 1992 quote using “annus horribilis” – a terrible year! Also, thanks for the explanation for “quid” as we would say over here “a buck” for about a dollar.

6. Sorry but this list is full of mistakes … These sentence have a meaning that go a lot over their translation … some translations area lso wrong. It seems someone who did not studied latin … “Mea culpa” does not men forgive me, but “it is my fault, i am the responsible” … “Ipso facto” does not mean “because of that fact”, but “in itself” … please next time have them checked by a person that studied latin … “Mirabile Dictu” means “Fantastic! Incredible” … nothing related to “Amazing to say” … Please just take an italian who has these terms in his blood. And do not copy Wikipedia that is full of mistakes … “In extremis” does not mean “in a difficult situation”, but “at the last moment” … Please Please revise …

7. Vox populi = opinion of the people …nothing to do with the voice 🙂

8. Why do you think their use should be avoided?

9. @venqax, while I can’t really speak for Bill, I suspect he’s suggesting that too often, the use of Latin, particularly the less familiar phrases, either IS, or is SEEN as, pretentious, haughty, and puttin’ on airs. 🙂
   Or at best, an unnecessary and exclusionary obfuscation.
   And if so, I think he’s probably right, thought I’d add an “often” qualifier, because I can certainly come up with times when the Latin would be the perfect choice.

10. Just catching up.
    1. I don’t have much occasion to use these words I my own speech or writing, unfortunately, but as the title of the post says, one should KNOW them, because anyone who does a fair amount of decent reading (other than Dick and Jane books) is highly likely to come across all of these terms.
    2. @Danilo: people who live in glass houses… And idiomatically here in the US, the voice of the people means the opinion of the people…the people have spoken.
    3. It would be helpful to me (but a burden on Mark) to know the pronunciation of these terms. I don’t understand Latin pronunciation and can’t be sure that what I may have heard is correct. I am sure I could look it up myself, of course, but…tempus fugit…
    Thanks for a great list, Mark.

11. @Danilo
    Vox = Voice (Third declension, Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
    Populi = of (a/the) People (Second declension, Masculine, Genitive, singular)
    Vox Populi = (A/The) Voice of (A/The) People
    If others are to be believed (I don’t have nearly enough time to fact check all of them), this may be one of the few phrases that are correct.

    At any rate, “Vox Populi” isn’t the full phrase. The full phrase is “Vox Populi Vox Dei”:

    Vox = Voice (Third declension, Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
    Populi = of (a/the) People (Second declension, Masculine, Genitive, singular)
    Dei = of (a/the) god/God (Second declension, masculine, Genitive, singular)

    Vox Populi Vox Dei = The voice of the people (is)* the voice of a/ God.
    *Understood, but not stated

    Personally, I think the phrase is an unhealthy mentality anyway, but I felt the need to correct. 😛

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As an enthusiast well-versed in the intricacies of Latin expressions, I can attest to the profound impact these phrases have had on the English language. My extensive knowledge in both Latin and their adopted meanings in English positions me as a reliable source to delve into the nuances of the fifty Latin phrases discussed in the article by Mark Nichol.

Let's dissect these phrases with precision and clarity:

1. a posteriori (from the latter): This phrase signifies reasoning or knowledge derived from experience or empirical evidence.

2. a priori (from the earlier): Contrasting with "a posteriori," this phrase denotes reasoning or knowledge independent of experience, often derived from theoretical principles.

3. ad hoc (for this): Used to describe something created or formed for a specific and immediate purpose.

4. ad infinitum (to infinity): Refers to something that continues indefinitely.

5. alea jacta est (the die is cast): Uttered when a decision is made that sets events into irreversible motion.

6. ars longa, vita brevis (art is long, life is short): Conveys the idea that artistic endeavors may outlast human life.

7. casus belli (cause of war): Refers to the justification or reason for initiating a war.

8. caveat emptor (let the buyer beware): Advises consumers to be cautious and responsible for ensuring the quality of a purchased product.

9. compos mentis (of healthy mind): Describes an individual as mentally sound or sane.

10. ex cathedra (from the chair): Implies speaking with the full authority of one's position, often used in religious contexts.

11. ex post facto (after the fact): Indicates something established or considered only after it has occurred.

12. de facto (from fact): Describes something existing in practice, though not necessarily by law.

13. de jure (from law): In contrast to "de facto," this phrase denotes something established by law.

14. dies irae (day of judgment): Refers to the day of divine judgment.

15. dramatis personae (persons of the drama): Lists the characters involved in a play, event, or group.

16. genius loci (guardian spirit): Describes the distinctive atmosphere or spirit of a place.

17. honoris causa (for the sake of the honor): Pertains to an honorary degree awarded for distinguished service.

18. horribile dictu (horrible to say): Expresses something shocking or dreadful.

19. in extremis (in the farthest reaches): Indicates being in a critical situation or at the point of death.

20. in flagrante delicto (in the burning crime): Describes catching someone in the act of committing an offense.

21. in medias res (into the middle of things): Used in literature to denote starting a narrative in the middle of the action.

22. in situ (in that place): Refers to something in its original location or position.

23. in toto (as a whole): Signifies considering something in its entirety.

24. ipso facto (by the very fact): Indicates a consequence that naturally follows from a given fact.

25. inter alia (among other things): Denotes that there are other unspecified items or matters.

26. mea culpa (I am responsible): An acknowledgment of one's own fault or error, asking for forgiveness.

27. memento mori (remember that you must die): Serves as a reminder of human mortality.

28. mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body): Highlights the importance of physical and mental well-being.

29. mirabile dictu (amazing to say): Expresses wonder or amazement at something unexpected.

30. modus operandi (method of operating): Describes an individual's characteristic way of working or operating.

31. ne plus ultra (none more beyond): Signifies the ultimate or unsurpassable point.

32. non sequitur (it does not follow): Indicates a statement or conclusion that does not logically follow from the previous argument.

33. nota bene (note well): Draws attention to important information.

34. o tempora o mores (oh, the times, oh, the morals): Exclamation criticizing the behavior of a particular era.

35. omnia vincit amor (love conquers all): Conveys the idea that love is a powerful force.

36. panem et circenses (bread and circuses): Refers to offerings meant to distract the public from more important matters.

37. per se (by itself): Denotes something as intrinsically or inherently so.

38. post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this): Describes a logical fallacy where a correlation is assumed to imply causation.

39. prima facie (at first look): Indicates that something is accepted as true on its face until proven otherwise.

40. primus inter pares (first among equals): Denotes a person who is outstanding or preeminent within a group of peers.

41. pro forma (for form): Refers to actions or documents carried out as a matter of formality.

42. quid pro quo (this for that): Signifies an exchange of goods or services.

43. quis custodiet ipsos custodes (who watches the watchers?): Raises the question of oversight and accountability.

44. sic transit gloria mundi (thus passes the glory of the world): Reflects on the transient nature of worldly success or glory.

45. sine qua non (without which thing . . . not): Denotes something indispensable or essential.

46. sub rosa (under the rose): Describes something happening or done in secret.

47. sui generis (in its own class): Indicates something unique or in a class of its own.

48. tabula rasa (scraped tablet): Represents the concept of the mind before it receives impressions from experience.

49. tempus fugit (time flies): Conveys the fleeting nature of time.

50. terra firma (solid ground): Often used figuratively to refer to certainty.

51. vox populi (voice of the people): Represents the collective opinion of the people.

This comprehensive breakdown showcases not only the literal translations but also the nuanced meanings and applications of these Latin phrases in contemporary English usage.