List of Latin phrases (I)

This page lists English translations of notable Latin phrases, such as veni vidi vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of Greek phrases, as Greek rhetoric and literature reached its peak centuries before the rise of ancient Rome.

This list covers the letter I. See List of Latin phrases for the main list.

I

Latin	Translation	Notes
ibidem (ibid.)	in the same place	Usually used in bibliographic citations to refer to the last source previously referenced.
id est (i.e.)	that is	"That is (to say)" in the sense of "that means" and "which means", or "in other words", or sometimes "in this case", depending on the context; may be followed by a comma, or not, depending on style (American English and British English respectively). It is often erroneously used as an abbreviation for "for example" (for which the correct abbreviation is e.g.).
id quod plerumque accidit	that which generally happens	A phrase used in legal language to indicate the most probable outcome from an act, fact, event or cause.
idem (dito) (id.)	the same	Used to refer to something that has already been cited. See also ibidem.
idem quod (i.q.)	the same as	Not to be confused with an intelligence quotient.
Idus Martiae	the Ides of March	In the Roman calendar, the Ides of March refers to the 15th day of March. In modern times, the term is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC; the term has come to be used as a metaphor for impending doom.
Jesu juva J.J.	Jesus, help!	Used by Johann Sebastian Bach at the beginning of his compositions, which he ended with "S.D.G." (Soli Deo gloria). Compare Besiyata Dishmaya.
Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (INRI)	Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews	From Vulgate; John 19:19. John 19:20 states that this inscription was written in three languages—Aramaic, Latin and Greek—at the top of the cross during the crucifixion of Jesus.
igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum	Therefore whoever desires peace, let him prepare for war	Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Re Militari; similar to si vis pacem, para bellum and in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello.
igne natura renovatur integra	through fire, nature is reborn whole	An alchemical aphorism invented as an alternate meaning for the acronym INRI.
igni ferroque	with fire and iron	A phrase describing scorched earth tactics. Also rendered as igne atque ferro, ferro ignique, and other variations.
ignis aurum probat	fire tests gold	A phrase referring to the refining of character through difficult circumstances, it is also the motto of the Prometheus Society.
ignis fatuus	foolish fire	Will-o'-the-wisp.
ignorantia juris non excusat	(or ignorantia legis non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat) ignorance of the law is no excuse	A legal principle whereby ignorance of a law does not allow one to escape liability.
ignoratio elenchi	ignorance of the issue	The logical fallacy of irrelevant conclusion: making an argument that, while possibly valid, doesn't prove or support the proposition it claims to. An ignoratio elenchi that is an intentional attempt to mislead or confuse the opposing party is known as a red herring. Elenchi is from the Greek elenchos.
ignotum per ignotius	unknown by means of the more unknown	An explanation that is less clear than the thing to be explained. Synonymous with obscurum per obscurius.
ignotus (ign.)	unknown
imago Dei	image of God	From the religious concept that man was created in "God's image".
imitatio dei	imitation of a god	A principle, held by several religions, that believers should strive to resemble their god(s).
imperium in imperio	an order within an order	1. A group of people who owe utmost fealty to their leader(s), subordinating the interests of the larger group to the authority of the internal group's leader(s). 2. A "fifth column" organization operating against the organization within which they seemingly reside. 3. "State within a state"
imperium sine fine	an empire without an end	In Virgil's Aeneid, Jupiter ordered Aeneas to found a city (Rome) from which would come an everlasting, never-ending empire, the endless (sine fine) empire.
impossibilium nulla obligatio est	there is no obligation to do the impossible	Publius Iuventius Celsus, Digesta L 17, 185.
imprimatur	let it be printed	An authorization to publish, granted by some censoring authority (originally a Catholic Bishop).
in absentia	in the absence	Used in a number of situations, such as in a trial carried out in the absence of the accused.
in absentia luci, tenebrae vincunt	in the absence of light, darkness prevails
in actu	in act	In the very act; in reality.
[Dominica] in albis [depositis]	[Sunday in Setting Aside the] White Garments	Latin name of the Octave of Easter.
in articulo mortis	at the point of death
in camera	in the chamber	In secret. See also camera obscura.
in casu (i.c.)	in the event	In this case.
in cauda venenum	the poison is in the tail	Using the metaphor of a scorpion, this can be said of an account that proceeds gently, but turns vicious towards the end — or more generally waits till the end to reveal an intention or statement that is undesirable in the listener's ears.
in com. Ebor.	In the county of Yorkshire	Eboracum was the Roman name for York and this phrase is used in some Georgian and Victorian books on the genealogy of prominent Yorkshire families.
in Christi lumine pro mundi vita	in the light of Christ for the life on the world	Motto of Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
in Deo speramus	in God we hope	Motto of Brown University.
in dubio pro reo	in doubt, on behalf of the [alleged] culprit	Expresses the judicial principle that in case of doubt the decision must be in favor of the accused (in that anyone is innocent until there is proof to the contrary).
in duplo	in double	In duplicate
in effigie	in the likeness	In (the form of) an image; in effigy (as opposed to "in the flesh" or "in person").
in esse	in existence	In actual existence; as opposed to in posse.
in extenso	in the extended	In full; at full length; complete or unabridged
in extremis	in the furthest reaches	In extremity; in dire straits; also "at the point of death" (cf. in articulo mortis).
in fide scientiam	To our faith add knowledge	Motto of Newington College.
in fidem	into faith	To the verification of faith.
in fieri	in becoming	In progress; pending.
in fine (i.f.)	in the end	At the end. The footnote says "p. 157 in fine": "the end of page 157".
in flagrante delicto	in a blazing wrong, while the crime is blazing	Caught in the act (esp. a crime or in a "compromising position"); equivalent to "caught red-handed" in English idiom.
in flore	in blossom	Blooming.
in foro	in forum	In court (legal term).
in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni	We enter the circle at night and are consumed by fire	A palindrome said to describe the behavior of moths. Also the title of a film by Guy Debord.
in harmonia progressio	progress in harmony	Motto of Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia.
in hoc sensu or in sensu hoc (s.h.)	in this sense	Recent academic abbreviation for "in this sense".
in hoc signo vinces	by this sign you will conquer	Words Constantine the Great claimed to have seen in a vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
in hunc effectum	for this purpose	Describes a meeting called for a particular stated purpose only.
in ictu oculi	in the blink of an eye
in illo ordine (i.o.)	in that order	Recent academic substitution for the spacious and inconvenient "..., respectively."
in illo tempore	in that time	At that time, found often in Gospel lectures during Masses, used to mark an undetermined time in the past.
in inceptum finis est	lit.: in the beginning is the end	or: the beginning foreshadows the end
in limine	at the outset/threshold	Preliminary, in law, a motion in limine is a motion that is made to the judge before or during trial, often about the admissibility of evidence believed prejudicial.
in loco	in the place, on the spot	That is, 'on site'. "The nearby labs were closed for the weekend, so the water samples were analyzed in loco."
in loco parentis	in the place of a parent	Assuming parental or custodial responsibility and authority (e.g., schoolteachers over students); a legal term.
in luce Tua videmus lucem	in Thy light we see light	Motto of Valparaiso University. The phrase comes from the book of Psalms 36:9 "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."
in lumine tuo videbimus lumen	in your light we will see the light	Motto of Columbia University, Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School and Ohio Wesleyan University. Also, it is the motto of the South African University of Fort Hare.
in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum	into your hands I entrust my spirit	According to Luke 23:46, the last words of Jesus on the cross.
in medias res	into the middle of things	From Horace. Refers to the literary technique of beginning a narrative in the middle of, or at a late point in, the story, after much action has already taken place. Examples include the Iliad, the Odyssey, Os Lusíadas, Othello, and Paradise Lost. Compare ab initio.
in memoriam	into the memory	Equivalent to "in the memory of". Refers to remembering or honoring a deceased person.
in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas	in necessary things unity, in doubtful things liberty, in all things charity	"Charity" (caritas) is being used in the classical sense of "compassion" (cf. agape). Motto of the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen. Often misattributed to Augustine of Hippo.
in nocte consilium	advice comes over night	I.e., "Tomorrow is a new day." Motto of Birkbeck College, University of London.
in nomine diaboli	in the name of the devil
in nomine Domini	in the name of the Lord	Motto of Trinity College, Perth, Australia; the name of a 1050 papal bull
in nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti	in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit	invocation of the Holy Trinity
in nuce	in a nut	in a nutshell; briefly stated; potential; in the embryonic phase
in omnia paratus	Ready for anything.	Motto of the United States Army's 18th Infantry Regiment
in omnibus amare et servire Domino	In everything, love and serve the Lord.	The motto of Ateneo de Iloilo, a university in the Philippines
in omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro	Everywhere I have searched for peace and nowhere found it, except in a corner with a book	Quote by Thomas à Kempis
in ovo	in the egg or in the embryo	An experiment or process performed in an egg or embryo (e.g. in ovo electroporation of chicken embryo).
in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello	in peace, like the wise man, make preparations for war	Horace, Satires 2/2:111; similar to si vis pacem, para bellum and igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
in pace requiescat	in peace may he rest	Alternate form of requiescat in pace ("let him rest in peace"). Found in this form at the end of The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe.
in partibus infidelium	in the parts of the infidels	"In the land of the infidels"; used to refer to bishoprics that remains as titular sees even after the corresponding territory was conquered by Muslim empires.
in pectore	in the heart	A cardinal named in secret by the pope. See also ab imo pectore.
in personam	into a person	Directed towards a particular person
in posse	in potential	In the state of being possible; as opposed to in esse.
in propria persona	in one's own person	Abbreviated pro per; For one's self, For the sake of one's 'Personhood'; acting on one's own behalf, especially a person representing himself in a legal proceeding; see also litigant in person, pro se legal representation in the United States.
in principio erat Verbum	in the beginning was the Word (Logos)	Beginning of the Gospel of John
in re	in the matter [of]	A legal term used to indicate that a judicial proceeding may not have formally designated adverse parties or is otherwise uncontested. The term is commonly used in case citations of probate proceedings, for example, In re Smith's Estate; it is also used in juvenile courts, as, for instance, In re Gault.
in rebus	in the thing [itself]	Primarily of philosophical use to discuss properties and property exemplification. In philosophy of mathematics, it is typically contrasted with "ante rem" and, more recently, "post res" structuralism. Sometimes in re is used in place of in rebus.
in regione caecorum rex est luscus	In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.	A quote of Desiderius Erasmus from Adagia (first published 1500, with numerous expanded editions through 1536), III, IV, 96.
in rem	to the thing	Legal term indicating a court's jurisdiction over a piece of property rather than a legal person; contrast with personal (ad personam) jurisdiction. See In rem jurisdiction; Quasi in rem jurisdiction
in rerum natura	in the nature of things	See also Lucretius' De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things).
in retentis	among things held back	Used to describe documents kept separately from the regular records of a court for special reasons.
in saecula (saeculorum), in saeculum saeculi	roughly: down to the times of the times	forever (and ever), liturgical
in saeculo	in the times	In the secular world, esp. outside a monastery, or before death.
in salvo	in safety
in scientia opportunitas (Dog Latin)	In Knowledge, there is Opportunity	Motto of Edge Hill University.
in scientia et virtue	In Knowledge, and Virtue	Motto of St. Joseph's College, Colombo. Sri Lanka.
in se magna ruunt	great things collapse of their own weight	Lucan, Pharsalia 1:81.
in silico (Dog Latin)	in silicon	Coined in the late 1980s for scientific papers. Refers to an experiment or process performed virtually, as a computer simulation. The term is Dog Latin modeled after terms such as in vitro and in vivo. The Latin word for silicon is silicium, so the correct Latinization of "in silicon" would be in silicio, but this form has little usage.
in situ	in the place	In the original place, appropriate position, or natural arrangement.
in somnis veritas	In dreams there is truth
in spe	in hope	"future" (My mother-in-law in spe", i.e., "My future mother-in-law), or "in embryonic form", as in "Locke's theory of government resembles, in spe, Montesquieu's theory of the separation of powers."
in specialibus generalia quaerimus	To seek the general in the specifics	That is, to understand the most general rules through the most detailed analysis.
in statu nascendi	in the state of being born	Just as something is about to begin.
in toto	in all	Totally; entirely; completely.
in triplo	in triple	In triplicate.
in umbra, igitur, pugnabimus	Then we will fight in the shade
in utero	in the womb
in utrumque paratus	Prepared for either (event)
in vacuo	in a void	In a vacuum; isolated from other things.
in varietate concordia	united in diversity	The motto of the European Union and the Council of Europe
in vino veritas	in wine [there is] truth	That is, wine loosens the tongue (referring to alcohol's disinhibitory effects).
in vitro	in glass	An experimental or process methodology performed in a "non-natural" setting (e.g. in a laboratory using a glass test tube or Petri dish), and thus outside of a living organism or cell. Alternative experimental or process methodologies include in vitro, in silico, ex vivo and in vivo.
in vivo	in life/in a living thing	An experiment or process performed on a living specimen.
in vivo veritas	in a living thing [there is] truth	An expression used by biologists to express the fact that laboratory findings from testing an organism in vitro are not always reflected when applied to an organism in vivo. A pun on in vino veritas.
incepto ne desistam	May I not shrink from my purpose!	Westville Boys' High School and Westville Girls' High School's motto is taken directly from Virgil. These words, found in Aeneid, Book 1, are used by Juno, queen of heaven who hated the Trojans led by Aeneas. When she saw the fleet of Aeneas on its way to Italy, after the sack of Troy by the Greeks, she planned to scatter it by means of strong winds. In her determination to accomplish her task she cried out "Incepto Ne Desistam!"
incertae sedis	of uncertain position (seat)	A term used to classify a taxonomic group when its broader relationships are unknown or undefined.
incredibile dictu	incredible to say	A variant on mirabile dictu.
intus et in cute	Inwardly, under the skin [intimately, without reservation]	Persius, Satire 3:30.
Index Librorum Prohibitorum	Index of Prohibited (or, Forbidden) Books	A list of books considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.
indigens Deo	being-in-need-of-God, beggar before God	From Augustine, De Civitate Dei XII, 1.3: beatitudinem consequatur nec expleat indigentiam suam, "since it is not satisfied unless it be perfectly blessed."
indignor quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus	I too am annoyed whenever good Homer nods off	Horace, Ars Poetica 358
indivisibiliter ac inseparabiliter	indivisible and inseparable	Motto of Austria-Hungary before it was divided and separated into independent states in 1918.
Infinitus est numerus stultorum.	Infinite is the number of fools.
infirma mundi elegit Deus	God chooses the weak of the world	The motto of Venerable Vital-Justin Grandin, the bishop of the St. Albert Diocese, which is now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
infra dignitatem (infra dig)	beneath one's dignity
iniuriae qui addideris contumeliam	You who have added insult to injury	Phaedrus, Fables 5/3:5.
inopiae desunt multa, avaritiae omnia	To poverty many things are lacking; to avarice, everything	Publilius Syrus.
insita hominibus libidine alendi de industria rumores	Men have an innate desire to propagate rumors or reports	Titus Livius, (XXVII, XXIV); Michel de Montaigne, (Essays).
instante mense (inst.)	in the present month	Used in formal correspondence to refer to the current month, sometimes abbreviated as inst; e.g.: "Thank you for your letter of the 17th inst." — ult. mense = last month, prox. mense = next month.
Instrumentum regni	instrument of government	Used to express the exploitation of religion by State or ecclesiastical polity as a means of controlling the masses, or in particular to achieve political and mundane ends.
Instrumentum vocale	instrument with voice	So Varro in his De re rustica (on agriculture) defines the slave: an instrument (as a simple plow, or etc.) with voice.
intaminatis fulget honoribus	Untarnished, she shines with honor	From Horace's Odes (III.2.18). Motto of Wofford College.
integer vitae scelerisque purus	unimpaired by life and clean of wickedness	From Horace. Used as a funeral hymn.
intelligenti pauca	Few words suffice for he who understands
inter alia (i.a.)	among other things	A term used in formal extract minutes to indicate that the minute quoted has been taken from a fuller record of other matters, or when alluding to the parent group after quoting a particular example.
inter alios	among others	Often used to compress lists of parties to legal documents.
inter arma enim silent leges	in a time of war, the law falls silent	Said by Cicero in Pro Milone as a protest against unchecked political mobs that had virtually seized control of Rome in the 60s and 50s BC. Famously quoted in the essay Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau as "The clatter of arms drowns out the voice of the law". This phrase has also been jokingly translated as "In a time of arms, the legs are silent."
inter caetera	among others	Title of a papal bull
inter mutanda constantia	Steadfast in the midst of change	Motto for Rockwell College in Ireland and Francis Libermann Catholic High School in Ontario, Canada.
inter spem et metum	between hope and fear
inter urinas et faeces nascimur	we are born between urine and feces	Attributed to St Augustine.
inter vivos	between the living	Refers to property transfers between living persons, as opposed to a testamentary transfer upon death such as an inheritance; often relevant to tax laws.
intra muros	within the walls	Not public; source of the word intramural. See also Intramuros, Manila.
intra vires	within the powers	Within one's authority
invenias etiam disiecti membra poetae	You would still recognize the scattered fragments of a poet	Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62, in reference to the earlier Roman poet Ennius.
inveniet quod quisque velit	Each shall find what he desires	Attributed to Petronius or Prudentius. Motto of Nature in Cambridgeshire: Inveniet quod quisque velit; non omnibus unum est, quod placet; hic spinas colligit, ille rosas. ("Each shall find what he desires; no one thing pleases all; one gathers thorns, another roses.")
invicta	Unconquered	Motto of the English county of Kent and the city of Oporto.
invictus maneo	I remain unvanquished	Motto of the Armstrong Clan.
Iohannes est nomen eius	John is his name	Motto of the Seal of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
ipsa scientia potestas est	knowledge itself is power	Famous phrase written by Sir Francis Bacon in 1597.
ipse dixit	he himself said it	Commonly said in Medieval debates and referring to Aristotle. Used in general to emphasize that some assertion comes from some authority, i.e., as an argument from authority, and the term ipse-dixitism has come to mean any unsupported rhetorical assertion that lacks a logical argument. A literal translation by Cicero (in his De Natura Deorum 1.10) of the Greek «αὐτὸς ἔφα», an invocation by Pythagoreans when appealing to the pronouncements of the master.
ipsissima verba	the very words themselves	"Strictly word for word" (cf. verbatim). Often used in Biblical Studies to describe the record of Jesus' teaching found in the New Testament (specifically, the four Gospels).
ipsissima voce	in the very 'voice' itself	To approximate the main thrust or message without using the exact words.
ipso facto	by the fact itself	By that very fact
ira deorum	wrath of the gods	Like the vast majority of inhabitants of the ancient world, the ancient Romans practiced pagan rituals, believing it important to achieve a state of pax deorum (peace of the gods) instead of ira deorum (wrath of the gods): earthquakes, floods, famine, etc.
ira furor brevis est	Wrath (anger) is but a brief madness
ita vero	thus indeed	A useful phrase, as the Romans had no word for "yes", preferring to respond to questions with the affirmative or negative of the question (e.g., "Are you hungry?" was answered by "I am hungry" or "I am not hungry", not "Yes" or "No).
ite, missa est	Go, it is the dismissal	Loosely: "You have been dismissed". Concluding words addressed to the people in the Mass of the Roman Rite.
iter legis	The path of the law	The path a law takes from its conception to its implementation.
iucunda memoria est praeteritorum malorum	Pleasant is the memory of past troubles	Cicero, De finibus bonorum et malorum 2, 32, 105.
iugulare mortuos	to cut the throat of corpses	From Gerhard Gerhards' (1466–1536) [better known as Erasmus] collection of annotated Adagia (1508). It can mean attacking the work or personality of deceased person. Alternatively, it can be used to describe criticism of an individual already heavily criticised by others.
iuncta iuvant	together they strive	also spelled juncta juvant; from the legal principle quae non valeant singula, iuncta iuvant ("What is without value on its own, helps when joined")
iura novit curia	the court knows the law	A legal principle in civil law countries of the Roman-German tradition that says that lawyers need not to argue the law, as that is the office of the court. Sometimes miswritten as iura novat curia (the court renews the laws).
iure matris	in right of his mother	Indicates a right exercised by a son on behalf of his mother.
iure uxoris	in right of his wife	Indicates a right exercised by a husband on behalf of his wife.
iuris ignorantia est cum ius nostrum ignoramus	it is ignorance of the law when we do not know our own rights
ius accrescendi	right of accrual	Commonly referred to as "right of survivorship": a rule in property law that surviving joint tenants have rights in equal shares to a decedent's property.
ius ad bellum	law towards war	Refers to the laws that regulate the reasons for going to war. Typically, this would address issues of self-defense or preemptive strikes.
ius cogens	compelling law	Refers to a fundamental principle of international law considered to have acceptance among the international community of states as a whole. Typically, this would address issues not listed or defined by any authoritative body, but arise out of case law and changing social and political attitudes. Generally included are prohibitions on waging aggressive war, crimes against humanity, war crimes, piracy, genocide, slavery, and torture.
ius in bello	law in war	Refers to the "laws" that regulate the conduct of combatants during a conflict. Typically, this would address issues of who or what is a valid target, how to treat prisoners, and what sorts of weapons can be used. The word jus is also commonly spelled ius.
ius primae noctis	law of the first night	The droit de seigneur.
iustitia fundamentum regni	justice is the foundation of a reign	Motto of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office of the Czech Republic.
iustitia omnibus	justice for all	The motto of Washington, D.C.
iuventuti nil arduum	to the young nothing is difficult	Motto of Canberra Girls' Grammar School.
iuventutis veho fortunas	I bear the fortunes of youth	Motto of Dollar Academy.

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