Latin: Common Phrases & Mottos

What does the Latin phrase 'Carpe diem' mean?

Literal: 'Seize the day.' Meaning: Enjoy the present moment and make the most of it. Example: 'Instead of worrying about tomorrow, he decided to carpe diem and enjoy the party.' Pronunciation: [KAR-pay DEE-em].

What does the Latin phrase 'Et cetera' (etc.) mean?

Literal: 'And the rest.' Meaning: Used at the end of a list to indicate that further, similar items are included. Example: 'We need to buy fruit: apples, oranges, et cetera.' Pronunciation: [et SET-er-ah].

What does the Latin phrase 'Veni, vidi, vici' mean?

Literal: 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' Meaning: Used to express a swift and total victory. Example: 'The team played perfectly; veni, vidi, vici.' Pronunciation: [WAY-nee WEE-dee WEE-kee].

What does the Latin phrase 'Mea culpa' mean?

Literal: 'Through my fault.' Meaning: An acknowledgment of one's error or mistake. Example: 'I forgot to send the email; mea culpa.' Pronunciation: [MAY-ah KUL-pah].

What does the Latin phrase 'Alma mater' mean?

Literal: 'Nourishing mother.' Meaning: The school, college, or university that one attended. Example: 'He returned to his alma mater to give a speech.' Pronunciation: [AL-mah MAH-ter].

What does the Latin phrase 'Persona non grata' mean?

Literal: 'An unwelcome person.' Meaning: Someone who is not acceptable or welcome. Example: 'After the scandal, the politician became persona non grata.' Pronunciation: [per-SOH-nah non GRAH-tah].

What does the Latin phrase 'Ad hoc' mean?

Literal: 'To this.' Meaning: Created or done for a particular purpose only, rather than planned in advance. Example: 'The committee was formed on an ad hoc basis to solve the immediate crisis.' Pronunciation: [ad HOK].

What does the Latin phrase 'Ad infinitum' mean?

Literal: 'To infinity.' Meaning: Forever or endlessly. Example: 'The debate seemed to go on ad infinitum without reaching a conclusion.' Pronunciation: [ad in-fih-NYE-tum].

What does the Latin phrase 'Alter ego' mean?

Literal: 'Other self.' Meaning: A second self or a different personality within one person. Example: 'Clark Kent is the alter ego of Superman.' Pronunciation: [AWL-ter EE-goh].

What does the Latin phrase 'Bona fide' mean?

Literal: 'In good faith.' Meaning: Genuine, real, or sincere. Example: 'They made a bona fide effort to reach an agreement.' Pronunciation: [BOH-nah FYE-dee].