Carpe Diem With This Quiz on Common Latin Phrases

“Ad hoc” is a Latin phrase meaning “for this purpose,” and ad hoc committees are often created for dealing with very specific issues. The phrase was first used in English as early as the 1600s. In 1970, futurist author Alvin Toffler proposed the term “adhocracy” in his work “Future Shock” as a theoretical and more flexible replacement for rigid government bureaucracies.

On May 27, 1861, President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus at the onset of the Civil War. Habeas corpus was a pre-established legal procedure that forbade the government from holding individuals indefinitely without cause. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in part to allow military commanders to detain anyone who dissented against the Union.

There are three Latin phrases in the U.S. Constitution. "Habeas corpus" refers to the legal requirement that a prisoner must be physically in court for their trial. The Constitution also uses "pro tempore" in reference to the "president for a time" who presides over the Senate in the absence of the VP. Finally, the Constitution prohibits "ex post facto" law, legislation that retroactively criminalizes behavior.

In 1637, René Descartes wrote the treatise "Discord on Method," which contained his most famous dictum, "Cogito, ergo sum," which translates to "I think, therefore I am." In a margin note on his writing, Descartes elaborated, saying, "We cannot doubt of our existence while we doubt."

"Caveat emptor" means "let the buyer beware." It refers to the principle that a buyer has to perform due diligence to make sure a purchase is legitimate before going through with it. While it is often used in English as a proverb, in many jurisdictions it also has legally-binding ramifications in contract law.

Moments after assassinating Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth leapt from the viewing balcony to the stage, breaking his leg while doing so. During the event, Booth shouted the Latin phrase, “Sic semper tyrannis!” which translates to, “Thus always to tyrants!” “Sic semper tyrannis” is also the state motto of the state of Virginia.

"Requiescat in pace" translates to "may they rest in peace" and is the original meaning behind the common tombstone acronym, R.I.P. The phrase first appeared on tombstones as early as the eighth century CE. Today, the letters are more commonly known to stand for "rest in peace."

Translating to "always faithful," the U.S. Marine Corps motto "semper fidelis" was adopted in 1883 and has become a common calling for all of the branch's members. In a similar vein, the U.S. Coast Guard uses the Latin motto "semper paratus," meaning "always ready," and the newly established Space Force's official motto is "semper supra," which means "always above."

Alibi translates to "elsewhere" in English. The word is often used in legal cases as evidence to support that a person was somewhere else when a crime occurred to help prove their innocence. For example, if an accused thief has video evidence that they were at the library when a crime occurred at a bank, that's their alibi.

In 47 BCE, Julius Caesar and his army traveled to Pontus, an area near the Black Sea in Turkey, in order to stop the army of King Pharnaces II from causing troubling warfare in the region. With just three legions of soldiers, Caesar handily defeated Pharnaces and his 20,000-member force at the Battle of Zela. To announce his victory and emphasize the speed and ease with which he had won, Caesar printed placards reading, "Veni, vidi, vici," meaning, "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Sigmund Freud used the Latin word “ego” (meaning “I”) as a psychoanalytic term referring to the “self” element of the human personality. Freud helped popularize the term as what he theorized was one of the three main components of the human mind, along with the id (relating to humanity’s primitive drives) and the superego (related to personal ethics).

On the back of the U.S. $1 bill, the phrase "e pluribus unum" is seen on the white scroll that is held in the eagle's beak in the Great Seal of the United States. That phrase means "out of many, one," and refers to the union of disparate states that joined to form the new nation.

The Latin phrase "alma mater" is used by alumni to describe their former schools. The phrase translates to "nourishing mother." This connotation implies that a learning institution gives "birth" to the intellectual self of a person, making the school a mother of sorts. Alma maters can also be official school songs, which are often sung by alumni — another Latin word that means "pupils."

The Latin term "curriculum vitae" translates to "course of one's life." In job applications, it’s better known as a CV, or a resume. (A CV is generally longer than a resume, and mainly used in academia). The term has been used for centuries but only acquired its modern meaning in 1902.

In Latin, "magnum opus" literally translates to "great work." In modern English usage, it refers to the most famous or acclaimed achievement by an artist or writer. The word “magnum” is also found in the roots of “magnitude” and “magnanimous,” while “opus” is seen in English words such as "opulent" and "operate."

The phrase "carpe diem" was popularized by the ancient Roman poet Horace to express the idea that one should live in the present. Since his time, the phrase has endured and appeared in ancient Greek literature, English romantic poems, and, in modern times, movies like 1989’s "Dead Poets Society." In that film, Robin Williams' character tells his class, "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."

Quid pro quo refers to an even trade of goods and services, or, more commonly in legal proceedings, a corrupt exchange or even bribery. In the case of bribery, the quid pro quo might be $200 in exchange for a police officer looking the other way on a speeding ticket.

If someone says, "Mea culpa," they are admitting fault for a mistake, essentially saying, "My bad." In Latin, the phrase literally means "through my fault," and comes from a prayer of confession in the Catholic Church. The apology can also be used as a noun in modern English, as in, "The governor issued a mea culpa in response to the scandal."

If something is described as being done “ad nauseam,” that generally means it’s been repeated to an excessive degree, so much so that people are sick of it. This Latin phrase literally translates into English as “to nausea,” and is commonly used to describe repetitive actions, phrases, and any other activities that are overdone.

The phrase vice versa comes from the Latin words “vicis” and “versus,” which mean "a change" and "to turn," respectively. When put together, they create the phrase "vice versa," which is used in English to express that something is the same even in the opposite order. For example, "I love my children, and vice versa," means that you love your children and your children love you.

On March 15, 44 BCE, Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of Roman senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus, a longtime friend of Caesar. These events were immortalized in William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar.” In the play, Caesar is stabbed by his assassins, with Brutus delivering the final blow, after which Caesar asks, “Et tu, Brute?” translating to, “You too, Brutus?”