Common Latin Abbreviation in

English


Abbreviation Latin English
A.M. ante meridiem beIore noon
c. or ca circa about; approximately
cI. conIer compare
c.v. curriculum vitae curriculum vitae
ead. eadem
in the same place; author (Iemale Iorm oI
ibid.)
e.g. exempli gratia Ior example; Ior instance
etc. et cetera and so on; and other people/things
et seq. et sequens and the Iollowing pages
Il. Iloruit
he/she Ilourished; used to indicate the high
point oI a person's liIe or career when
his/her dates oI birth are unknown
ib, ibid. ibidem
in the same place; relates to the
immediately prior source. author (male)
i.e. id est that is
loc. cit. loco citato
in the place already mentioned; relates to
sources beIore the immediately prior
citation
N.B. nota bene note well/careIully
op. cit. opere citato
in the work already mentioned; relates to
sources beIore the immediately prior
citation |loc. cit. and op. cit. are
synonymous, with op. cit. probably more
Irequent|
p. paper page
P.M. post meridiem aIter noon
pp. pluta paper pages
p.p.
per pro; per
procurationem
on behalI oI; used when someone signs a
letter by authority or proxy because
another person is not available
pro tem. pro tempore Ior the time; temporarily
Abbreviation Latin English
P.S. post scriptum aIter writing
Q.E.D.
quod erat
demonstrandum
which was to be shown
q.v. quod vide
which see; used to cross-reIer to material
that can be Iound elsewhere within the
same book or piece oI writing. q.v. is not
synomymous with cI.; the latter cross-
reIers to external material
sc. or scil.
scilicet; scire
licet
that is to say, namely
sic sic thus, or literally
s.v. sub voce
under the word; used in connection with
alphabetically arranged reIerence works
v. versus against
v.
vide, imperative
oI video
see; look up
v. voce voice; word
v.g. verbi gratia Ior example
v. inI. vide inIra see below
viz videlicet
that is to say, namely |a keynote
abbreviation Ior academic pedants or post-
modernists. There is no Iull stop
(signiIying an abbreviation), because the
"z" is not a letter but a sign oI contraction|.
vs. versus against
v.v. vice versa the other way round
Commonly used Latin expressions

Latin
Expression
English
a Iortiori with even stronger reason
a posteriori
Irom eIIects to causes; reasoning
based on past experience
a priori
Irom causes to eIIects; conclusions
drawn Irom assumptions; Irom what
comes beIore; deductive reasoning
ab initio Irom the beginning
ad hoc improvised
ad inIinitum never ending
ad lib at will; oII the top oI the head
bis second (as in V34.bis)
bona Iide in good Iaith
caveat
a caution/warning (e.g. caveat emptor
- "let the buyer beware")
curricula vitae the courses oI one's liIe; resumes
curriculum
vitae
the course oI one's liIe; resume
de Iacto Irom the Iact (rather than by right)
de jure Irom the law
ex oIIicio out oI one's duty or oIIice
ex post Iacto aIter the Iact, retrospectively
inIra below
in situ in its original place
in toto in its entirety
inter alia among other things
locus
classicus
standard or most authoritative source
ipso Iacto by the Iact itselI
non sequitur it does not Iollow
passim
here and there; throughout; in several
places
per capita per head
prima Iacie at Iirst sight; on the Iace oI it
pro bono Ior the public good, at no cost
pro rata in proportion
Latin
Expression
English
quid pro quo something in return
scilicet; scire
licet
that is to say, namely
sic thus used; thus spelt
sine die without a day, with no time Iixed
sine qua non
without which not, essential
precondition
status quo things as they are
stet as it was originally
supra above
vide see
vide supre see above
viva (voce) oral examination