List of Common Latin Terms

Common Latin Terms Used in Everyday Language, Law, Science, and Academia

Latin, the classical language of the ancient Romans, has had a profound influence on various aspects of our modern world, including language, law, science, and academia. Although Latin itself is no longer spoken as a native language, its impact is still strongly felt through the vast number of Latin expressions and phrases that continue to be used today.

In this list, we have curated a collection of frequently encountered Latin terms that you may come across in literature, legal documents, scientific papers, and everyday conversations. Whether you're a student, a language enthusiast, or simply curious about the origins of certain expressions, this compilation aims to shed light on the meanings and significance of these Latin phrases.

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List of 150 Common Latin Terms

• Latin Term

  Translation

• a fortiori

  with stronger reason

• a posteriori

  from the latter
  (inductive reasoning)

• a priori

  from the earlier
  (deductive reasoning)

• ab initio

  from the beginning

• ab ovo

  from the egg
  (or from the beginning)

• ad hoc

  for this purpose

• ad hominem

  against the person

• ad infinitum

  to infinity

• ad interim

  in the meantime

• ad nauseam

  to the point of sickness

• AD

  in the year of the Lord
  (abbreviation for anno domini)

• alibi

  elsewhere
  (proof of presence elsewhere)

• alma mater

  nourishing mother
  (referring to one's educational institution)

• alter ego

  other self

• a.m.

  before noon
  (abbreviation for ante meridiem)

• amicus curiae

  friend of the court

• annuit coeptis

  he [God] has favored our undertakings

• ante bellum

  before the war

• ars longa

  art is long

• audi alteram partem

  hear the other side

• bona fide

  in good faith

• c.

  with
  (abbreviation for cum)

• carpe diem

  seize the day

• caveat emptor

  let the buyer beware

• ceteris paribus

  all other things being equal

• cf.

  compare
  (abbreviation for confer)

• corpus delicti

  body of the crime

• corpus juris

  body of the law

• cum laude

  with praise
  (academic distinction)

• de facto

  in fact

• de jure

  by law

• de novo

  from the beginning

• deus ex machina

  god from the machine
  (an unexpected solution)

• d.g. or dg

  by the grace of God
  (abbreviation for dei gratia)

• diva

  goddess, female opera singer

• dramatis personae

  characters of a play

• dts

  symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
  (abbreviation for delirium tremens)

• dum spiro, spero

  while I breathe, I hope

• e pluribus unum

  out of many, one

• e.g.

  for example
  (abbreviation for exempli gratia)

• ergo

  therefore

• errare humanum est

  to err is human

• et al.

  and others
  (abbreviation for et alia)

• et tu, Brute

  And you, Brutus

• etc.

  and so on
  (abbreviation for et cetera)

• ex cathedra

  with authority

• ex libris

  from the books

• ex nihilo

  out of nothing

• ex officio

  by virtue of one's office

• ex parte

  on behalf of one party
  (in legal matters)

• ex post facto

  after the fact

• ex tempore

  on the spur of the moment

• fiat lux

  let there be light

• fides et ratio

  faith and reason

• fortuna favet fortibus

  fortune favours the bold

• habeas corpus

  you shall have the body

• habemus papam

  we have a Pope

• ibid.

  in the same place
  (abbreviation for ibidem)

• i.e.

  that is
  (abbreviation for id est)

• in absentia

  in absence

• in camera

  in private

• in extenso

  at full length

• in extremis

  at the point of death

• in flagrante delicto

  in the blazing crime crime

• in limine

  at the threshold

• in loco parentis

  in the place of a parent

• in media res

  in the midst of things

• in memoriam

  into memory

• in nomine

  in the name of

• in re

  in the matter of

• in situ

  in its original position or place

• in statu quo

  in the state in which

• in toto

  in total

• in vino veritas

  in wine, there is truth

• in vitro

  in glass

• in vivo

  in a living organism

• inter alia

  among other things

• inter nos

  between us

• inter vivos

  between the living

• ipso facto

  by the fact itself

• lapsus linguae

  slip of the tongue

• lex talionis

  law of retaliation

• loc cit

  in the place cited

• locus standi

  the place of standing

• magnum opus

  great work

• mea culpa

  my fault

• mens sana in corpore sano

  a sound mind in a sound body

• m.o.

  manner of
  (abbreviation for modus operandi)

• modus vivendi

  mode of living or way of life

• mortui viventes docent

  the dead teach the living

• mutatis mutandis

  with the necessary changes having been made

• nolens volens

  willing or unwilling

• nolo contendere

  I do not wish to contend

• non compos mentis

  not of sound mind

• non sequitur

  it does not follow

• novus ordo seclorum

  new order of the ages

• O tempora! O mores!

  Oh the times! Oh the customs!

• p.a. or pa

  per annum
  (annually)

• panem et circenses

  bread and circuses

• pari passu

  with equal pace

• pax romana

  Roman peace

• per capita

  per person

• per diem

  per day

• per se

  by itself or intrinsically

• persona non grata

  an unwelcome person

• p.m.

  afternoon
  (abbreviation for post meridiem)

• post hoc

  after this occurrence

• post mortem

  after death death

• prima facie

  at first sight

• primum non nocere

  first, do no harm

• primus inter pares

  first among equals of a group

• pro bono

  for the public good or without charge

• pro forma

  as a matter of form

• pro rata

  in proportion

• p.s. or ps

  post script
  (abbreviation for postscriptum)

• q.e.d. or qed

  which was to be demonstrated
  (abbreviation for quod erat demonstrandum)

• quaestio disputata

  a disputed question

• quaestio facti

  a question of fact

• quaestio juris

  a question of law

• quasi

  as if or as though

• quid pro quo

  something for something

• quidnunc?

  what now?

• quo vadis?

  where are you going?

• reductio ad absurdum

  reduction to absurdity

• res gestae

  things done

• r.i.p.

  rest in peace
  (abbreviation for requiescat in pace)

• sine die

  without a day

• sine qua non

  without which not

• status quo

  the existing state of affairs

• sub judice

  under judgment

• sub poena

  under penalty

• sub rosa

  under the rose
  (confidentially)

• sui generis

  of its own kind

• tabula rasa

  blank slate

• tempus fugit

  time flies

• terra firma

  solid ground

• terra incognita

  unknown territory

• urbi et orbi

  to the city and to the world

• veni, vidi, vici

  I came, I saw, I conquered

• verbatim

  word for word

• via media

  middle way

• vice versa

  the other way around

• vita brevis

  life is short

• vox dei

  voice of God

• vox populi

  voice of the people

• vs. or vs

  against
  (abbreviation for versus)