| Latin word
| Translation
| Comment
|
| ad hoc
| "for this thing"
| set up temporarily for a particular purpose e.g. an ad hoc committee
|
| ad infinitum
| "to infinity"
| as in Latin
|
| agenda (pl.)
| "things to be discussed/done"
| as in Latin but usually incorrectly used in the singular e.g. an agenda!
|
| alias
| "elsewhere", "sometimes"
| another identity
|
| alibi
| "at" or "in another place"
| proof of not being in the location of a crime/misdemeanour
|
| ante meridiem (a.m.)
| "before noon"
| in the morning
|
| post meridiem (p.m.)
| "after noon"
| afternoon
|
| anno domini (A.D.)
| "in the year of (our) Lord"
| as in Latin
|
| ad nauseam
| "to sickness"
| to the point of being sick
|
| bis
| "two times"
| as in Latin (Used in singing instructions.)
|
| ceteris paribus
| "with the rest of the things the same/equal"
| all other factors held constant
|
| confer (cf.)
| "bring together"
| compare
|
| c. or circa
| "about"
| approximately
|
| compos mentis
| "having mastery of (one's) mind"
| in full possession of one's mental faculties
|
| exempli gratia (e.g.)
| "by the grace of example"
| for example
|
| ego
| "I"
| sense of importance of self
|
| et cetera (etc.)
| "and the rest of the things"
| and so on
|
| ex libris
| "from the books"
| belonging to the book collection of
|
| ex post facto
| "from the deed/fact, afterwards"
| deduced or discovered after the event with the benefit of hindsight
|
| gratis gratia
| "favour" or "kindness"
| for no payment
|
| habeas corpus
| "may you have the body"
| the right to be brought to trial within a reasonable period after arrest and imprisonment
|
| ibidem
| "there in the same place"
| as in Latin
|
| id
| "it" (neuter)
| that part of the personality which indulges the "libido"(=sexual urge) and/or behaves impulsively (psychoanalytical terminology)
|
| idem (id.)
| "the same thing"
| as in Latin
|
| id est (i.e.)
| "that is"
| that is...
|
| in flagranti delicto
| "in the blazing crime"
| caught in the act
|
| in loco parentis
| "in the place of a parent"
| as in Latin
|
| in vitro
| "in glass"
| in a test tube
|
| ipso facto
| "by the very fact"
| as in Latin
|
| inter alia
| "among other things"
| among other things!
|
| memento
| "remember!"
| a token to remember someone/something by
|
| memorandum (memo)
| "something which is to be remembered/mentioned/spoken about"
| as in Latin
|
| mens sana in corpore sano
| "a healthy mind in a healthy body"
| as in Latin
|
| modus operandi
| "way/method of operating"
| way of working
|
| moratorium
| Americanisation of classical Latin 'mora' - "delay"
| an American politician's decision to stop or delay doing something
|
| nil nil/nihil
| "nothing"
| nothing, no score
|
| nota bene (N.B.)
| "note well"
| as in Latin
|
| omnibus
| "with everything"; "for everyone"
| a compilation of all the magazines/programmes; a means of transport all can use ("-bus")
|
| par
| "equal", "the same"
| used in golf to suggest a target score for a hole which players attempt to equal; also "below par" meaning not up to the usual standard (of health, achievement)
|
| post mortem
| "after death"
| examination after death
|
| post partum
| "after giving birth"
| as in Latin
|
| pro persona (p.p.)
| "instead of the person"
| as in Latin. Used when a letter is being signed (with authorisation) on behalf of someone else.
|
| primus inter pares
| "first among equals"
| an old description of the relationship between Prime Minister and Cabinet in the U.K.
|
| pro bono
| "for good"
| in the public interest or for no money (American lawyers may work part-time "pro bono".)
|
| quid pro quo
| "something given in exchange for something"
| as in Latin; a £ sterling (pound) is still called a "quid".
|
| quod videas (q.v.)
| "a thing which you may see..."
| as in Latin
|
| referenda
| "things which are to be referred/carried back to the people"
| votes on a single issue by all or part of the electorate. (Sometimes - ungrammatically - called "referendums".)
|
| scilicet scirelicet
| "it is permitted to know"
| to wit, namely, that is to say
|
| sic
| "thus", "in this way"
| as in Latin
|
| sine die
| "without a day"
| without a specific date being set for the resumption of (e.g. court) proceedings
|
| sine qua non
| "without which (thing)...not"
| a sine qua non is something indispensable
|
| status quo
| "the state in which"
| the existing/prevailing situation
|
| sub iudice
| "under a judge"
| the subject of ongoing/incomplete judicial proceedings
|
| subpoena / sub poena
| "under punishment"
| a demand to comply with a court request e.g. attendance in court, which imposes an automatic penalty if it is not obeyed
|
| tempus fugit
| "time runs away"
| Time flies!
|
| ter
| "three times"
| as in Latin
|
| ultra vires
| "beyond (his) powers"
| as in Latin
|
| viz.
| from viet, a contraction of videlicet - "it is permitted to see": the "et" resembled a "z" in medieval Latin script.
| it is permitted to see; namely, that is
|
