Latin Three - Quarter One Expressions

a capite ad calcem

From top to bottom; from beginning to end.

a mari usque ad mare

National motto of Canada meaning "from sea all the way to sea."

ab imo pectore

From the bottom of (my) heart; expressing something with a great deal of emotion or sincerity.

ab origine

From the origin, beginning, source, or commencement.

ab ovo usque ad mala

From beginning to end, based on the Roman dinner tradition.

ab urbe condita (AUC)

Refers to the founding of Rome in 753 BC.

acta est fabula

"The play has been performed" or "the story has been done."

acta non verba

"Actions, not words" or "deeds, not words."

ad astra per aspera

"To the stars through the rough spots"; motto of the state of Kansas.

ad captandum vulgus

"For the purpose of capturing the crowd"; doing something to appeal to the masses.

ad hoc

"For this"; designed for a specific, immediate purpose.

ad hominem

Connotations of "against the man"; a character assassination.

ad Kalendas Graecas

"At the Greek Kalends"; means "never" similar to phrases like "when pigs fly" or "when hell freezes over."

ad nauseam

"To the point of disgust"; used as a humorous alternative to ad infinitum.

advocatus diaboli

"Devil's advocate"; someone who defends an unpopular point of view for the sake of discussion.

agenda

"Things that must be done"; an ordered list of things to be done.

alea iacta est

"The die has been cast"; denotes passing the point of no return on a momentous decision.

alibi

A legal defense where a defendant attempts to show that they were elsewhere at the time a crime was committed.

alis volat propriis

"She flies with her own wings"; state motto of Oregon.

alma mater

Term used for the school one attends or has attended.

alter ego

"Another I"; another self, a second persona, or an alias.

alumna or alumnus

A graduate or former student of a school.

amicus curiae

"Friend of the court"; a third party allowed to submit a legal opinion to the court.

amor vincit omnia

"Love conquers all."

Anno Domini (AD)

"In the Year of the Lord."

annuit coeptis

"It has been promised in the endeavors"; found on the American dollar bill.

ars gratia artis

"Art for the sake of art"; motto of the MGM film studio.

ars longa vita brevis

"Art is long, life is short"; from the poet Horace.

audemus iura nostra defendere

"We dare to defend our laws"; state motto of Alabama.

fortes fortuna iuvat

"Fortune favors the brave"; famously said by Pliny the Elder.

aurea mediocritas

"Golden moderation"; refers to reaching a virtuous middle ground between two sinful extremes.

bis in die (b.i.d.)

"Twice in a day"; medical/pharmaceutical shorthand for "take the medicine twice per day."

bona fide

"In good faith"; genuine, authentic, legitimate.

carpe diem

"Seize the day"; an exhortation to live for today.

Carthago delenda est

"Carthage must be destroyed"; from the Roman senator Cato the Elder.

casus belli

“justification for war”

Cave canem

A Latin phrase meaning "beware of the dog," often found in a famous floor mosaic from Pompeii.

Caveat emptor

A Latin phrase meaning "let the buyer beware," cautioning individuals to be careful with their spending.

Cedant arma togae

A Latin phrase meaning "let arms yield to the toga," emphasizing the importance of diplomacy over violence. Coined by Cicero.

Circa (c.) or (ca.)

A Latin term meaning "around" or "approximately," commonly used with numbers or dates.

Cogito ergo sum

A Latin phrase meaning "I think, therefore I am," used by philosopher René Descartes to argue for the existence of oneself through rational thought.

Confer (cf.)

An abbreviation meaning "bring together" or "compare," used in texts to recommend a comparison with another thing, such as another book or author.

Corpus delicti

A Latin term meaning "body of the crime," referring to the evidence in a criminal trial, specifically the dead body in a homicide case.

Crescit eundo

The state motto of New Mexico, meaning "it grows by going."

Cum grano salis

A Latin phrase meaning "with a grain of salt," cautioning against taking something too seriously or as the literal truth.

Curriculum vitae

A Latin term meaning "course of life," referring to a detailed resume, particularly used in academia.

de minimis

“about trivial matters”

de mortuis nil nisi bonum

“about the dead, nothing except good”