Latin Expressions That Shaped the Way We Speak Today

From carpe diem to alter ego, many phrases we use today have been derived from Latin. But what do you know about the origins of these expressions? And what's the deal with that lorem ipsum text you've sometimes seen floating around on web pages? If you're ready to satisfy your curiosity, let's explore 20 common Latin phrases and their ancient roots.

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1. Ad Lib

Short for "ad libitum"—which translates to "as much as one likes" or "to one's pleasure"—this is a phrase we typically use to describe when something is improvised, such as in a musical performance. Fittingly enough, it originally was a musical notation that indicated to artists to play a piece however they pleased.

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2. Carpe Diem

Meaning "seize the day" or "enjoy life to the fullest while you can." you've likely come across the phrase carpe diem fairly often. It's often cited to have been popularized by Roman poet Horace in his Odes, published in 23 BCE, though the expression has been seen in various literature pieces even before Horace.

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3. Bona Fide

The literal translation of bona fide is "in good faith," and is estimated to have been first used in the mid-17th century. In the beginning, it was adopted as an adverb and kept close to its original meaning, though it later was used as an adjective as well. Bona fides, the noun form, is another variant you may see. (Fun fact: mala fide has the opposite meaning.)

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4. Memento Mori

Meaning "remember that you must die," memento mori isn't exactly a pleasant expression, though its purpose is to serve as a reminder of our mortality in this world. It's a phrase that dates back to Ancient Greece and Rome, and has appeared in countless works of art and literature throughout history.

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5. Veni, Vidi, Vici

After a swift, victorious battle in which he defeated King Pharnaces II of Pontus in 47 BCE, Julius Caesar reportedly declared, Veni, vidi, vici—"I came, I saw, I conquered." These words have since become one of his most famous quotes, and you've likely seen the expression tattooed on someone's arm or scrawled across street art.

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6. Alma Mater

Meaning "nourishing mother," your alma mater refers to the educational institution you graduated from, though it wasn't used in this way until the 18th century. The shift in its meaning makes sense, given that these institutions foster intellectual growth in the same way a mother nurtures her child.

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7. Alibi

If you have proof that you weren't at the scene of a crime, you have an alibi. In Latin, the direct translation is simply "elsewhere," though its meaning has since morphed into something more specific, and typically only used in legal situations.

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8. Alter Ego

You're likely familiar with the meaning of this common Latin phrase even without seeing the translation, which is "other I." According to its first use by Roman philosopher Cicero, the expression meant "close friend" or "second self." It's now a term used by psychologists to indicate dissociative personality disorder, where one might have a split, alternative version of themselves.

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9. Caveat

In Latin, the literal translation of caveat is "let him beware" and was derived from the verb cavēre—"to be on guard." It's still used in a similar way even now to signal a word of caution. (Interestingly, "caution" also evolved from cavēre.)

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10. Et Cetera

This one likely needs no explanation, seeing as we use it everywhere, every day, though we often abbreviate it to "etc." In Latin, its literal meaning is "and other things," with its first usage dating back to the 15th century. It's still used in this way to mark off lists so that they're not overly long or exhaustive.

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11. Magnum Opus

Meaning "great work," a magnum opus is an artist's most famous creative piece or greatest achievement, whether that work is a novel, song, painting, or game. In other words, it's their masterpiece. It was first adopted from Latin into wide English usage in the 18th century.

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12. Non Sequitur

The literal translation of non sequitur is "it does not follow." Its first use appeared in the 16th century, in logic proofs where the conclusion did not follow the premises. Now, it's used in a similar way but in any type of conversation. For example, if you suddenly say, "I like baking apple pie," while chatting about baseball, that's a non sequitur.

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13. Per Annum

This is another one you may be familiar with, which simply means "per year." Per diem ("per day") and per capita ("per heads") are also frequently used in English today. Per annum and per diem are often seen when discussing salary and were coined as early as the 16th century, while per capita, used to compare something in relation to the population (ex. number of jobs per capita), dates back to the late 17th century.

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14. Per Se

Per is a common Latin preposition, so you'll often see many phrases with it, such as per se. Meaning "by itself," it's typically used in English to avoid generalization and talk about something intrinsically (ex. "It's not that I don't like English per se, it's just difficult to grasp"). The origin of this expression dates back as early as the 15th century, but has roots in Medieval Latin and Middle English.

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15. Pro Bono

Shortened from pro bono publico ("for the public good"), pro bono is typically used in legal contexts or services where someone does work free of charge. The expression stems from Medieval Latin, though you're likely most familiar with its briefer form.

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16. Quid Pro Quo

Quid pro pro means "something (in exchange) for something." For example, if someone asks you to do them a favor, you might ask for one back—quid pro quo. However, when this phrase was first adopted in the 16th century by apothecaries (modern-day pharmacists), it was used to denote substituting one medicine for another.

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17. Requiem

Requiem æternam dona eis (literal translation: "Rest eternal grant them") is the first line sung in the Mass for the Dead in Latin liturgy, which is why requiem is typically defined as simply "rest," or used to refer to a worship service honoring the souls who have passed. This first appearance traces back to the 14th century.

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18. Status Quo

Meaning "the state in which," we often now use status quo to refer to the current existing state of something, such as the condition of a company. Surprisingly, its first recorded use wasn't from too long ago, having appeared around the 18th century to early 19th century.

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19. De Facto

De facto translates to "of fact," or "in reality," and is used to describe the actual affairs of something, even if it isn't technically legal or officially recognized. For example, someone could become the de facto head of government, even though it's informal. Contrast this expression with de jure ("of law"), meaning something is true "by right of law." Both expressions were taken from Medieval Latin.

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20. Lorem Ipsum

You've likely seen lorem ipsum generated as placeholder text in graphic design, publishing, and digital spaces, but what does it mean and where did it originate from? It's believed that the original text was derived from Roman philosopher Cicero's De finibus bonorum et malorum ("On the Ends of Good and Evil") in 45 BCE, though was later scrambled and made incoherent. Additionally, lorem ipsum is actually a truncation of dolorem ipsum, which means "pain itself."

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