| latin phrase | english translation |
| |
| A bene placito |
At one's pleasure |
| A capite ad calcem |
From head to heel |
| A cappella |
In church [style]i.e. Vocal music only |
| A contrario |
From a contrary position |
| A cruce salus |
From the cross comes salvation |
| A Deo et Rege |
From God and the King |
| A fortiori |
With yet stronger reason |
| A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi |
A precipice in front, wolves behind (between a rock and a hard place) |
| A mari usque ad mare |
From sea to sea (Motto of Canada) |
| A mensa et thoro |
From board and bed (legal separation) |
| A pedibus usque ad caput |
From feet to head |
| A posse ad esse |
From possibility to actuality |
| A posteriori |
From what comes after. Inductive reasoning based on observation, as opposed to deductive, or a priori |
| A priori |
From what comes before |
| A verbis ad verbera |
From words to blows |
| Ab absurdo |
From the absurd (establishing the validity of your argument by pointing out the absurdity of your opponent's position) |
| Ab aeterno |
From the beginning of time |
| Ab asino lanam |
Wool from an ass, blood from a stone impossible |
| Ab hinc |
From here on |
| Ab imo pectore |
From the bottom of the chest. (from the heart) (Julius Caesar) |
| Ab incunabulis |
From the cradle |
| Ab initio |
From the beginning |
| Ab intestato |
Having made no will |
| Ab origine |
From the origin |
| Ab ovo usque ad mala |
From the egg right to the apples (From start to finish) (Horace) |
| Ab ovo |
From the egg |
| Ab urbe condita |
From the foundation of the city. (Rome) |
| Ab/Ex uno disce omnes |
From one person, learn all people |
| Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit |
He has left, absconded, escaped and disappeared |
| Absente reo |
In absence of the defendant |
| Absit invidia |
No offence intended |
| Absit omen |
May the omen be absent. (may this not be an omen) |
| Absum! |
I'm outta here! |
| Abusus non tollit usum |
Wrong use does not preclude proper use |
| Abutebaris modo subjunctivo denuo |
You've been misusing the subjunctive again |
| Abyssus abyssum invocat |
Hell calls hell; one mistep leads to another |
| Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam |
It is better to suffer an injustice than to do an injustice |
| Acta est fabula, plaudite! |
The play is over, applaud! (Said to have been emperor Augustus' last words) |
| Acta non verba |
Action not words |
| Acta sanctorum |
Deeds of the saints |
| Actus reus |
Wrongful actas opposed to mens reathe wrongful intention or guilty mind |
| Ad absurdum |
To the point of absurdity |
| Ad acta |
To archives. Not actual any more |
| Ad alta |
To the summit |
| Ad astra per aspera |
To the stars through difficulty |
| Ad astra |
To the stars |
| Ad augusta per angusta |
To high places by narrow roads |
| Ad captandum vulgus |
To appeal to the crowd -- often used of politicians who make false or insincere promises appealing to popular interest |
| Ad clerum |
To the clergy |
| Ad eundem gradum |
To the same level |
| Ad eundem |
Of admission to the same degree at a different university |
| Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit |
To boldly go where no man has gone before |
| Ad fontes |
To the sources (motto of Renaissance Humanism) |
| Ad fundum |
To the bottom / To the end (said during a generic toast, like bottoms up!) |
| Ad hoc |
For a particular purpose. (improvised, made up in an instant) |
| Ad hominem |
Appealing to a person's physical and emotional urges, rather than her or his intellect |
| Ad honorem |
In honour. Honour not baring any material advantage |
| Ad idem |
Of the same mind |
| Ad infinitum |
To infinity without end |
| Ad interim |
For the meantime |
| Ad libitum (Acronym "ad lib") |
At one's pleasure |
| Ad Libitur |
As Desired |
| Ad limina apostolorum |
To the thresholds of the Apostles |
| Ad litem |
For a lawsuit or action |
| Ad locum |
At the place |
| Ad lucem |
Towards the light (motto of the University of Lisbon) |
| Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) |
For the greater glory of God |
| Ad multos annos |
To many years!, i.e. Many happy returns! |
| Ad nauseum |
To the point of making one sick |
| Ad perpetuam rei memoriam |
For the perpetual remembrance of the thing |
| Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora |
Eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow (a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush) |
| Ad referendum |
Subject to reference |
| Ad rem |
To the point |
| Ad valorem |
By the value, e.g. Ad valorem tax |
| Ad vitam aeternam |
For all time |
| Ad vitam paramus |
We are preparing for life |
| Ad vitam |
For life |
| Addendum |
A thing to be added |
| Adeste Fideles |
Be present, faithful ones |
| Adsum |
Here! present! |
| Adversus incendia excubias nocturnas vigilesque commentus est |
Against the dangers of fires, he (Augustus) conceived of the idea of night guards and watchmen |
| Adversus solem ne loquitor |
Don't speak against the sun (don't waste your time arguing the obvious) |
| Advocatus diaboli |
The devil's advocate |
| Aegrescit medendo |
The disease worsens with the treatment. The remedy is worse than the disease |
| Aegri somnia |
A sick man's dreams (Horace) |
| Aegroto, dum anima est, spes esse dicitur |
It is said that for a sick man, there is hope as long as there is life |
| Aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem |
Remember when life's path is steep to keep your mind even. (Horace) |
| Aeronavis abstractio a prestituto cursu |
Hijacking |
| Aetatis (aet.) |
Age |
| Aeternum vale |
Farewell forever |
| Affidavit |
A sworn written statement usable as evidence in court |
| Age quod agis |
Do what you do well, pay attention to what you are doing |
| Age. Fac ut gaudeam |
Go ahead. Make my day! |
| Agenda |
Things to be done |
| Agnus Dei |
The Lamb of God |
| Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est |
Yes, that is a very large amount of corn |
| Alea iacta est |
The die has been cast. (Caesar) |
| Alias |
Otherwise |
| Alibi |
Elsewhere |
| Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent |
Other people's things are more pleasing to us, and ours to other people. (Publilius Syrus) |
| Alis volat propiis |
She flies with her own wings (state motto of Oregon) |
| Alma Mater |
Nourishing mother. (One's old school or university) |
| Alter ego |
Other "I" or "Other Self" |
| Alter ipse amicus |
A friend is another self |
| Alterum ictum faciam |
I'm going to take a mulligan |
| Altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi |
The deepest rivers flow with the least sound. (still waters run deep) |
| Alumnus |
Nursling (former pupil) |
| Amantes sunt amentes |
Lovers are lunatics |
| Amantium irae amoris integratio est |
The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love. (Terence) |
| Amare et sapere vix deo conceditur |
Even a god finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time |
| Amat victoria curam |
Victory favors those who take pains |
| Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore |
I hope that the memory of our friendship will be everlasting. (Cicero) |
| Amicule, deliciae, num is sum qui mentiar tibi? |
Baby, sweetheart, would I lie to you? |
| Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur |
A true friend is discerned during an uncertain matter |
| Amicus curiae |
Friend of the court |
| Amicus humani generis |
A friend of the human race (philanthropist) |
| Amicus verus est rara avis |
A true friend is a rare bird |
| Amor animi arbitrio sumitur, non ponitur |
We choose to love, we do not choose to cease loving. (Syrus) |
| Amor caecus est |
Love is blind |
| Amor est vitae essentia |
Love is the essence of life. (Robert B. Mackay) |
| Amor ordinem nescit |
Love does not know order. (St. Jerome) |
| Amor patriae |
Love of country |
| Amor platonicus |
Platonic love |
| Amor tussisque non celantur |
Love, and a cough, are not concealed. (Ovid) |
| Amor vincit omnia |
Love conquers all. (Virgil) |
| Amoto quaeramus seria ludo |
Joking aside, let us turn to serious matters. (Horace) |
| An nescis, mi fili, quantilla sapientia mundus regatur? |
Don't you know then, my son, how little wisdom rules the world? |
| Anguis in herba |
A snake in the grass. A treacherous person. (Vergil) |
| Anicularum lucubrationes |
Old wives' tales |
| Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri? |
(At a barbeque) Ever noticed how wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face? |
| Animis opibusque parati |
Prepared in minds and resources (ready for anything) |
| Animus facit nobilem |
The spirit makes (human) noble |
| Anno (an.) |
Year |
| Anno domini (AD) |
In the year of the Lord |
| Anno hegirae (AH) |
In the year of the hegira |
| Anno mundi |
In the year of the world |
| Anno regni |
In the year of reign |
| Anno urbis conditae (AUC) |
From the year of founding of the city (Rome) |
| Annuit coeptis |
God has favored us |
| Annus bisextus |
Leap year |
| Annus horribilis |
A horrible year |
| Annus mirabilis |
Year of wonders |
| Ante litteram |
Before the letter |
| Ante meridiem (a.m.) |
Before midday |
| Ante mortem |
Before death |
| Ante prandium (A.p.) |
Before a meal |
| Ante |
Before |
| Antebellum |
Before the war |
| Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem |
In the good old days, children like you were left to perish on windswept crags |
| Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus! |
Let's all wear mood rings! |
| Apage Satanas |
Begone, Satan |
| Appareo Decet Nihil Munditia? |
Is It Not Nifty? |
| Apudne te vel me? |
Your place or mine? |
| Aqua fortis |
Nitric acid |
| Aqua pura |
Pure water |
| Aqua vitae |
Water of life (brandy) |
| Aquila non captat muscas |
The eagle doesn't capture flies (don't sweat the small things) |
| Arbiter elegantiae |
Judge in matters of taste |
| Arcana imperii |
Secrets of the empire |
| Arduum sane munus |
A truly arduous task |
| Arguendo |
For the sake of argument |
| Argumentum ad hominem |
An argument against the man. Directing an argument against an opponent's character rather than the subject at hand |
| Argumentum ad ignorantiam |
Arguing from ignorance |
| Armis Exposcere Pacem |
They demanded peace by force of arms. (An inscription seen on medals) |
| Ars gratia artis |
Art for art's sake. (motto of MGM) |
| Ars longa, vita brevis |
Art (work) is long, but life is short |
| Ars sine scienta nihil est |
Art without science is nothing. (I would also claim that the opposite is true) |
| Artium baccalaureus |
Bachelor of Arts (BA) |
| Artium magister |
Master of Arts (MA) |
| Ascendo tuum |
Up yours |
| Asinus asinum fricat |
The ass rubs the ass. (Conceited people flatter each other about qualities they do not possess) |
| Aspice, officio fungeris sine spe honoris amplioris |
Face it, you're stuck in a dead end job |
| Aspirat primo Fortuna labori |
Fortune smiles upon our first effort. (Virgil) |
| Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit |
Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdues both intelligence and skill. (Cicero) |
| Astra inclinant, non necessitant |
The stars incline; they do not determine |
| Astra non mentiuntur, sed astrologi bene mentiuntur de astris |
The stars never lie, but the astrologs lie about the stars |
| Aude sapere |
Dare to know |
| Audaces fortuna iuvat |
Fortune favors the bold. (Virgil) |
| Audere est facere |
To dare is to do. (Motto of Tottenham Hotspur) |
| Audi et alteram partem |
Hear the other side too |
| Audiatur et altera pars! |
Let us hear the opposite side! |
| Audio, video, disco |
I hear, I see, I learn |
| Auget largiendo |
He increases by giving liberally |
| Aura popularis |
The popular breeze. (Cicero) |
| Aurea mediocritas |
The golden mean. (an ethical goal; truth and goodness are generally to be found in the middle.) (Horace) |
| Auribus tenere lupum |
I hold a wolf by the ears. (I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go.) (Terence) |
| Aurora australis |
The Southern lights |
| Aurora borealis |
The Northern lights |
| Aurora Musis amica |
Dawn is friend of the muses. (Early bird catches the worm.) |
| Aut Caesar aut nihil |
Caesar or nothing i.e., all or nothing |
| Aut disce aut discede |
Either learn or leave |
| Aut insanit homo, aut versus facit |
The fellow is either mad or he is composing verses. (Horace) |
| Aut viam inveniam aut faciam |
I will either find a way or make one |
| Aut vincere aut mori |
Either conquer or die |
| Auxilio ab alto |
By help from on high |
| Avarus animus nullo satiatur lucro |
A greedy mind is satisfied with no (amount of) gain |
| Ave atque vale |
Hail and farewell. (Catullus) |
| Ave caesar! Morituri te salutamus |
Hail Caesar! We who are about to die salute you. (gladiators before the fight) |
| Ave maria |
Hail Mary |