Common Latin Phrases

61 flashcards by MentisLibrary

The Latin you actually meet in English, with pronunciation, a word-for-word literal translation, its source, the field you will run into it in, and a natural example sentence.

carpe diem

Seize the day; make the most of the present moment

et cetera

And the rest; and so on, abbreviated etc.

ad hoc

For this purpose; improvised for a specific situation

a priori

From what comes before; reasoning from theory rather than experience

a posteriori

From what comes after; reasoning from observed evidence

ad hominem

To the person; attacking the arguer instead of the argument

ad infinitum

To infinity; endlessly, without limit

ad nauseam

To the point of nausea; repeated until people are sick of it

alma mater

Nourishing mother; the school or university one attended

alter ego

Another I; a second self or alternate identity

bona fide

In good faith; genuine, sincere, real

casus belli

Case for war; an act that justifies or provokes a war

caveat emptor

Let the buyer beware; the buyer is responsible for checking quality

circa

Around, approximately; used with dates, abbreviated c. or ca.

cogito ergo sum

I think, therefore I am

compos mentis

Of sound mind; sane and able to think clearly

de facto

In fact; true in practice even if not by law

de jure

By law; true according to the law, whatever the practice

deus ex machina

God from the machine; an improbable rescue that resolves a plot

e pluribus unum

Out of many, one

ergo

Therefore; consequently

errare humanum est

To err is human

ex libris

From the books of; marks a book's owner

ex nihilo

Out of nothing; creation from nothing

habeas corpus

You shall have the body; the right not to be held without charge

in memoriam

In memory of; honoring someone who has died

in situ

In its original place; in position

in toto

In total; entirely, as a whole

in vino veritas

In wine there is truth; people speak honestly when drinking

in vitro

In glass; performed outside a living organism, in a lab