| A | B |
|---|
| ab initio (ab init.) | from the beginning |
| ad hoc | to this / for this purpose |
| ad hominem | to the man / personal |
| ad infinitum (ad inf.) | to the infinite / endlessly |
| ad libitum (ad lib.) | at pleasure / without preparation |
| ad nauseum | to seasickness / to the point of disgust |
| alibi | elsewhere / the defense of being elsewhere when a crime is committed |
| alma mater | nourishing mother / school or college attended or school song |
| alumnus, alumna | graduate of a school or college |
| alter ego | another self / a perfect substitute |
| anno Domini (A.D.) | In the Year of the Lord |
| ante bellum | before the war (usually the American Civil War) |
| ante meridiem (A.M.) | before noon / in the morning |
| ars gratia artis | art for the sake of art |
| ars longa, vita brevis | art is long, life is short |
| bona fide | in good faith / genuine |
| carpe diem | seize the day / enjoy today |
| cave canem | beware of the dog |
| caveat emptor | let the buyer beware |
| circa (ca.) | around, approximately (having to do with time) |
| confer (cf.) | compare |
| cornucopia | horn of plenty (Thanksgiving decoration) |
| credo | a set of firm beliefs |
| cum laude | with praise, with honor |
| curriculum vitae (C.V.) | resume, summary of a career |
| de jure | from law / by law |
| de facto | in fact, in reality |
| deus ex machina | "god from the machine" / any artificial device that resolves a plot |
| dramatis personae (dram. pers.) | cast of characters in a play |
| e pluribus unum | one out of many |
| errare est humanum | to err is human / everybody makes mistakes |
| et alia (et al.) | and the others (people, not things) |
| et cetera (etc.) | and the rest (things, not people) |
| et tu, Brute? | "You also, Brutus?" / Someone might say this to another person who betrayed them. |
| ex libris | from the books / from the library of... |
| exempli gratia (e.g.) | for example |
| festina lente | make haste slowly (a paradox) |
| fiat lux | "let there be light" |
| finis | the end |
| habeas corpus | "may you have the body" / the right of citizens to avoid unlawful imprisonment |
| homo sapiens | "wise human" / a human being |
| ibidem (ibid.) | in the same place / used in footnotes for a repeating citation |
| id est (i.e.) | "that is" / in other words |
| in absentia | in one's absence |
| in flagrante delicto | "in a burning crime" / caught red-handed or in the act |
| in loco parentis | "in place of a parent" / a legal term for guardians who are not parents |
| in medias res | "in the middle of things" |
| in memoriam | in memory |
| in situ | in place / in its original position |
| in utero | in the womb / unborn |
| ipso facto | "by the fact itself" / by that very fact |
| lapsus linguae | "slip of the tongue" |
| magna cum laude | "with great praise" |
| magnum opus | "great work" / someone's masterpiece |
| mea culpa | "my fault" |
| mens sana in corpore sano | "a sound mind in a sound body" |
| modus operandi (M.O.) | "way of operating" |
| non sequitur | "it does not follow" / an illogical statement |
| nota bene (N.B.) | "note well" / pay attention |
| per annum | "by the year" / annually |
| per diem | "by the day" / a daily allowance |
| per se | "by itself" / directly, intrinsically |
| persona non grata | "unwelcome person" |
| post meridiem (P.M.) | "after noon" |
| post mortem | "after death" / an examination of a corpse |
| post scriptum (PS) | "written after" |
| pro forma | "on behalf of the form" / for the sake of appearance |
| prima facie | "at first appearance" / obvious on the face of it |
| pro tempore (pro tem.) | "for the time being" / temporarily |
| quid pro quo | "something for something" / tit for tat |
| rara avis | "a rare bird" / an unusual person |
| re | "in the matter, thing, affair" / regarding |
| requiescat in pace (R.I.P.) | "may he/she rest in peace" |
| Senatus Populusque Romanus (S.P.Q.R.) | "The Senate and the People of Rome" |
| sic | thus |
| sui generis | "of its own kind" / unique |
| summa cum laude | "with the highest praise" |
| tempus fugit | "time flies" |
| tabula rasa | "a blank slate" |
| terra firma | "solid earth" |
| terra incognita | "unknown land" |
| veni, vidi, vici | "I cane, I saw, I conquered" |
| verbatim | "word for word" |
| videlicet (viz.) | "namely" |
| (Q.E.D.) quod erat demonstrandum | "that which was to be proved" / it means you showed how to do it (like after a math problem answer) |
