ab absurdo
from the absurd

ab aeterno
from eternity

ab asino lanam
wool from an ass

ab extra
from the outside

ab imo pectore
from the bottom of the chest

ab incunabulis
from infancy

ab initio
from the beginning

ab intra
from within

ab irato
from an angry man

ab origine
from the very beginning

ab ovo
from the egg (from the very beginning)

absit invidia
let ill will be absent

absit omen
may the omen be absent (asks for protection against evil)

abusus non tollit usum
misuse does not nullify proper use

a capite ad calcem
from head to toe

accessit
he/she came close

Acheruntis pabulum
food of Acheron

ad absurdum
to absurdity

ad arbitrium
at pleasure

ad augusta per angusta
to honors through narrow spaces

ad captandum vulgus
in order to win over the masses

ad eundem gradum
to the same degree

ad gloriam
for glory

ad gustum
to one's taste

ad hoc
for this purpose (a temporary committee)

ad Kalendas Graecas
At the Greek Kalends (never)

ad litteram
to the letter

ad nauseam
to the point of nausea

ad patres
to the fathers (dead)

ad populum
to the people

ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora
eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow

ad quem
to whom

ad referendum
for referring

adsum
I am present

ad unguem
to the fingernail

ad unum omnes
all to one

ad usum Delphini
for the Dauphin's use (expurgated)

ad utrumque paratus
prepared for either

ad verbum
to the word

adversa
things noted

adversaria
that which has been turned to (a journal)

ad vitam aeternam
for eternal life

ad vitam aut culpam
for life or until a misdeed

aeger
sick

aegrotat
he/she is sick

aequo animo
with a calm mind

aeternum vale
farewell forever

a fortiori
with stronger reason

a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi
a precipice in front, wolves behind

age quod agis
do what you are doing

albae gallinae filius
son of a white hen

albo lapillo notare diem
to mark a day with a white stone

alias (dictus)
otherwise called

alieni generis
of a different kind

alieni iuris
of another's law

aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus
sometimes even good Homer dozes

alter ego
second self

alma mater
nurturing mother

alter ego
another I

altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi
the deepest rivers flow with the least sound

alumnus
foster child

amantes sunt amentes
lovers are lunatics

a maximis ad minima
from the greatest to the least

amicus humani generis
friend of the human race

amicus usque ad aras
a friend all the way to the altars

amor nummi
love of money

amor patriae
love of country

amor proxomi
love of one's neighbor

animal bipes implume
a two-legged animal without feathers (human being)

animal disputans
an argumentative animal (human being)

animal rationale
a rational animal (human being)

annus mirabilis
a remarkable year

ante bellum
before the war

ante partum
before childbirth

apologia pro vita sua
a defense of his life

a posteriori
from what comes after

apparatus criticus
critical matter

a priori
from what comes before

aqua et igni interdictus
forbidden water and fire (banished)

aqua pura
pure water

aqua vitae
water of life (alcohol)

a quo
from which

arbiter bibendi
judge of drinking

arbiter elegantiae
master of taste

arbitrio suo
on his/her own authority

arcanum arcanorum
secret of secrets

arma non servant modum
armies do not preserve (show) restraint

arma tuentur pacem
arms maintain peace

arrectis auribus
with ears pricked up

ars amandi
the art of loving

ars artium
the art of arts (logic)

ars moriendi
the art of dying

arte perire sua
to perish by one's own creation

artes perditae
lost arts

asinus asinum fricat
the ass rubs the ass

a tergo
from behind

audaces fortuna iuvat
fortune helps the bold

audi et alteram partem
hear the other side too

aureo hamo piscari
to fish with a golden hook

aurora australis
the southern dawn

aurora borealis
the northern dawn

auspicium melioris aevi
omen of a better time

aut bibat aut abeat
let him either drink or depart

aut Caesar aut nihil
either Caesar or nothing

aut disce aut discede
either learn or leave

aut viam inveniam aut faciam
I will either find a way or make one

beatae memoriae
of blessed memory

beati possidentes
blessed are those who possess

bis vivit qui bene vivit
he lives twice who lives well

bona fide
in good faith

bonis avibus
under good birds (under favorable signs)

bonum vinum laetificat cor hominis
good wine gladdens a person's heart

cacoëthes carpendi
a mania for finding fault

cacoëthes loquendi
a mania for talking

caput mortuum
death's head

caput mundi
head of the world (i.e. Rome)

castigat ridendo mores
he corrects manners by laughing at them

casus belli
an occasion for war

casus foederis
an occasion for a treaty

causa sine qua non
a cause without which not (a necessary cause)

causa causans
an initiating cause

caveant consules ne quid detrimenti respublica capiat
beware, consuls, that the republic is not harmed (formal request for a dictator)

caveat emptor
let the buyer beware

cave canem
beware of the dog

cave quid dicis, quando, et cui
beware what you say, when, and to whom

cessante causa cessat et effectus
when the cause ceases, so does the effect

cetera desunt
the rest are missing

ceteris paribus
other things being equal

coitus interruptus
interrupted coitus

compos mentis
of sound mind

compos sui
master of himself

conditio sine qua non
a condition without which not (a necessary condition)

coniunctis viribus
with united powers

consensus
agreement

consensus gentium
agreement of the nations

consilio et armis
by counsel and by arms

contraria contrariis curantur
opposites are cured by opposites

cornucopia
horn of plenty

corrigenda
things to be corrected

credo quia absurdum est
I believe it because it is unreasonable

cuius regio eius religio
whose the region, his the religion

cum grano salis
with a grain of salt

cum laude
with praise

cum privilegio
with privilege

Curia pauperibus clausa est
The Senate house is closed to the poor

currente calamo
with the pen running on

curriculum vitae
the course of one's life

custos morum
guardian of morals

dabit qui dedit
he who has given will give

damnat quod non intelligunt
they condemn what they do not understand

de asini umbra disceptare
arguing about the shadow of an ass

de bono et malo
of good and bad

deceptio visus
deception of vision

de diem in die
from day to day

de facto
from the fact

de gustibus non est disputandum
it must not be disputed about taste

de integro
from a new

de minimis non curat praetor
a praetor does not care about petty matters

de novo
from a new

de omni re scibili et quibusdam aliis
of everything one can know and several other things

de pilo pendet
it hangs by a hair

de profundis
out of the depths

de proprio motu
of one's own motion

deus ex machina
a god out of a machine

dies faustus
a day bringing good fortune

dies infaustus
a day bringing bad fortune

divide et impera
divide and conquer

dixi
I have spoken

docendo discimus
we learn by teaching

doctus cum libro
learned with a book

dramatis personae
characters of the play

ducit amor patriae
love of country guides

dum vita est spes est
while there's life, there's hope

dura lex sed lex
the law is hard, but it is the law

ecce signum
behold the sign

e contrario
on the contrary

editio cum notis variorum
an edition with the notes of various people

editio princeps
first edition

editio vulgata
common edition

eiusdem farinae
of the same flour

Elizabeth regina
Elizabeth the queen

emeritus
having served his time

ense et aratro
with sword and plow

ergo
therefore

errare humanum est
to err is human

erratum (plur. errata)
error

et hoc genus omne
and everything of this kind

etiam atque etiam
again and again

et nunc et semper
now and forever

et sic de similibus
and so of similar things

ex aequo et bono
according to what is just and good

ex animo
from the heart

ex cathedra
from the chair

exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis
the exception establishes the rule in cases not excepted

exeat
he/she may go forth

exeunt
they leave

exit
he/she leaves

exitus acta probat
the end justifies the means

ex mero motu
out of simple impulse

ex more
according to custom

ex officio
out of one's duty or office

ex pede Herculem
Hercules from the foot

experientia docet
experience teaches

ex tempore
from the moment

facta, non verba
deeds, not words

Fata viam invenient
The Fates will find a way

fide, non armis
by faith, not arms

fortuna caeca est
fortune is blind

genus homo
the human race

Helluo librorum
A glutton for books (bookworm)

homo sapiens
man having sense (human being)

hostis humani generis
enemy of the human race

Ilium fuit
Troy no longer exists

imperium et libertas
empire and freedom

in absentia
in absence

in forma pauperis
in the manner of a poor man

in loco parentis
in place of a parent

in medias res
into the middle of things

in memoriam
in memory [of]

in omnia paratus
prepared for all things

in perpetuum
into perpetuity

in propria persona
in one's own person

in re
in the matter of

in statu quo
in the situation in which [it was before]

in toto
in the whole

inter alia
among other things

inter nos
between us

ipse dixit
he himself said it

ipsissima verba
the very words

ipso facto
by the fact itself

ius gentium
the law of nations

lex scripta
the written law

littera scripta manet
the written letter lasts

lux ex oriente
light from the east

Magna Charta
the Great Paper

magna cum laude
with great praise

magnum bonum
great good

magnum opus
a great work

mare clausum
a closed sea

materia medica
medical material

me duce tutus eris
under my leadership you will be safe

me iudice
I being judge (in my opinion)

Memento mori
Remember to die (whispered into the ear of a general during a triumphal procession)

mihi cura futuri
my concern is the future

mirabile dictu
wonderful to say

multum in parvo
much in little

ne plus ultra
no more beyond (nothing better)

non compos mentis
not in possession of one's senses

nosce te ipsum
know thyself

Nova Scotia
New Scotland

novus homo
a new man [in politics]

nunc pro tunc
now as of then

obiter dictum
said by the way (incidentally)

omnia reliquit servare rem publicam
he left everything to save the state

pauci quos aequus amat Iuppiter
the few whom fair-minded Jupiter loves

pax in bello
peace in the midst of war

pax vobiscum!
peace be with you!

per annum
by the year

per capita
by heads or individuals

per diem
by the day

per se
by itself

persona non grata
an unwelcome person

poeta nascitur, non fit
The poet is born, not made

possunt quia posse videntur
they can because they think they can

post bellum, auxilium
aid after the war

post mortem
after death

primus inter pares
first among equals

pro forma
for form

pro patria
for one's country

quid pro quo
something for something

ratio et consilium propriae ducis artes
reason and deliberation are the proper skills of a general

rex regnant sed non gubernat
the king reigns but does not govern

semper idem
always the same thing

semper paratus
always prepared

sequens mirabitur aetas
the following age will be amazed

sine die
without a day [being set]

sine qua non
without which not (a necessity)

status quo
the situation in which [it was before]

sub rosa
under the rose (hidden)

Sub sole nihil novi est
There's nothing new under the sun

sui generis
of one's own kind

summa cum laude
with highest praise

summum bonum
the highest good

sursum corda
lift up your hearts

tempus fugit
time flies

terra firma
solid earth

terra incognita
an unknown land

Ultima Thule
Farthest North

una voce
with one voice, unanimously

Urbem latericiam invenit, marmoream reliquit
He found the city a city of bricks; he left it a city of marble (The boast of Augustus)

urbs et orbis
city and world

Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas
Vanity of vanities, and all [is] vanity

Velle est posse
To be willing is to be able

Verbum sapienti sat est
A word to the wise is sufficient

Vestis virum facit
Clothes make the man

via media
a middle way or course

vice versa
in reverse

victoria, non praeda
victory, not loot

virginibus puerisque
for girls and boys

Volo, non valeo
I am willing but unable

vox humana
the human voice