Latin Legal Terms and Maxims with English Meanings

A practical legal glossary explaining Latin words, maxims and related expressions commonly found in judgments, pleadings, statutes, textbooks and legal argument.

Usage note: The list includes a few expressions of French or English origin that are commonly grouped with traditional Latin legal terminology in legal practice. Meanings are concise general explanations; the legal effect of a term can depend on the statute, jurisdiction and context in which it is used.

Legal glossary

A B C D E F H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W

Latin or legal expression	English meaning / legal sense
A fortiori	From stronger argument
Ab extra	From outside
Ab initio	From the very beginning, from the start of something
Actus reus	A guilty act, an act which is illegal such as theft
Ad hoc	For a particular purpose
Ad idem	In agreement, meeting of the minds by parties
Ad infinitum	To continue forever, without limit
Ad interim	In the meantime, temporarily
Ad litem	As regards the action
Ad nauseum	To a sickening or excessive degree; repeated to the point of weariness.
Ad referendum	Subject to reference
Ad rem	To the point
Ad valorem	Proportionate to the value
Alias	A false name
Alibi	At another place, Elsewhere The fact or state of having been elsewhere at the time
Ambiguitas latens	Latent ambiguity not appearing on instant inspection
Ambiguitas patens	An ambiguity that readily appears on the face of document or instrument
Amicus curiae	"Friend of the court"; a person or body permitted to assist a court on a question of law or public importance without being a party.
Animus possidendi	An intention to possess
Annum	Year
Ante	Before
Ante meridiem (AM)	Before midday
Apropos	With reference to; concerning or relevant to the matter.
Audi alteram partem	Let the other side be heard as well
Audio	I hear
Bona fide	Real, genuine, sincere, made or carried out in good faith
Bonus	Good, extra sum
Caveat	A warning
Caveat emptor	Let the buyer beware. The principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made
Certiorari	A supervisory writ by which a superior court may call for the record of an inferior court, tribunal or authority and quash a decision for jurisdictional or other recognized legal error.
Curriculum vitae	Course of one's life
De facto	Of fact, in reality
De jure	Of law, officially
De novo	Afresh, from the beginning
Dictum factum	What is said is done
Diem	Day
Ejusdem generis	Of the same kind or nature
Ergo	Therefore
Erratum	An error in printing or writing
Estoppel	A legal principle that may prevent a person from denying a representation or position when the law treats it as binding in the circumstances.
Et al, Et alii, Et alia	And others
Et cetera	And other things
Ex facie	On the face
Ex gratia	A favour or gift that is not legally necessary
Ex officio	By virtue of holding an office
Ex parte	Without the presence or participation of opposite party
Ex post facto	Retroactive, affecting something that has already happened
Exempli gratia (e.g.)	For the sake of example
Fac simile Facsimile	Make alike (Fax)
Fait Accompli	An accomplished fact; something already done and effectively irreversible.
Fiat justitia	Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.
Fiduciary	In a position of trust
Habeas Corpus	A writ requiring production of a person alleged to be unlawfully detained so the legality of the detention can be examined.
Ibid	In the same place
Id est (i.e.)	That is, in other words
Ignorantia juris non excusat	Ignorance of law is not an excuse
In absentia	In absence
In camera	In chamber, in private
In curia	In open court
In limine	At the threshold or outset; often used for a matter decided at a preliminary stage.
In memoriam	In memory of
In re	In the matter of
In toto	In total, totally
Infra	Below, inside
Inter alia	Amongst other things
Inter se	Among themselves
Intra vires	Within one's legal power or authority
Ipso facto	By that very fact or act
Jus ad rem	A right to a thing
Jus in personam	Right against a person
Jus naturale	Natural law; principles regarded as arising from nature, reason or inherent justice.
Legum Baccalaureus (LL.B.) / Juris Doctor (J.D.)	Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) / Juris Doctor (J.D.), names of law degrees in different legal-education systems.
Letter rogatory	Formal request from a court to foreign court for some type of judicial assistance
Locus standi	Standing; the legal capacity or sufficient interest required to bring or participate in a proceeding.
Magnum opus	A creator's greatest or most important work.
Mala fide	Dishonest, made or carried out in bad faith
Mandamus	"We command"; a writ directing a public authority, tribunal or other person subject to the writ jurisdiction to perform a public or statutory duty.
Mens rea	A guilty mind; the mental element such as intention, knowledge or recklessness required for an offence where the law so provides.
Mensem	Month
Modus operandi	Method of operation, particular way of doing something
Mutatis mutandis	Having changed what needs to be changed; once the necessary changes have been made
Nemo dat quod non habet	No one can give what they do not have; a transferor generally cannot pass a better title than the transferor possesses, subject to statutory exceptions.
Nota bene (NB)	Note well
Nudum pactum	Naked promise, bare promise
Obiter	A remark made in passing in a judgment (obiter dictum) that is not part of the binding ratio decidendi.
Onus probandi	Burden of proof, proof of assertion. It includes both the burden of production and persuasion.
Parens patriae	Parent of the nation, legal protector of citizens unable to protect themselves
Pari passu	Side by side, at the same rate, equally, on equal footing
Per	Through, by
Per capita	By head, per head
Per contra	In contrast to, by that against
Per incuriam	Through lack of due regard to a binding statutory provision or precedent; used for a decision rendered in ignorance of such authority.
Per pro	On behalf of
Per quod	In accordance, whereby
Per se	In itself, by itself
Philosophiae Doctor	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Post meridiem (PM)	Past midday, after midday
Prima facie	At first sight, based on first impression
Pro bono publico	Professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment
Pro forma	As a matter of form
Pro rata	In proportion
Pro se	For himself
Pro tempore	Temporary
Prohibition	A supervisory writ restraining an inferior court or tribunal from proceeding without or in excess of jurisdiction, or in breach of recognized legal limits.
Quasi	As if, almost
Quid pro quo	A favour or advantage granted in return for something
Quo warranto	"By what authority"; a writ used to question a person's legal authority to hold a public office.
Raison d'etre	Reason for being; the principal purpose or justification for existence.
Ratio decidendi	The legal principle or reason necessary for a judicial decision and capable of binding later courts under the doctrine of precedent.
Res integra	A point without a precedent, entire thing, untouched matter
Res ipsa loquitur	"The thing speaks for itself"; an evidentiary principle that may permit negligence to be inferred from the nature and circumstances of an accident.
Res judicata	A matter already adjudicated; the principle that a finally decided issue or claim cannot ordinarily be re-litigated between the same parties where the legal requirements are met.
Res nullius	Nobody's thing, belonging to no one
Sciens	Knowingly
Sic	So, thus (Used in brackets after a copied or quoted word that appears odd or erroneous to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands in the original)
Sine die	No fixed date to continue
Sine qua non	An indispensable or essential condition.
Status quo Status quo ante	The state of affairs that existed previously
Sub judice	Under judicial consideration; pending before a court or tribunal.
Sub modo	Subject to modification
Sui generis	Something that belongs in a particular category or is the only one of its class
Sui juris	Of full legal capacity; able to act in one's own right, subject to applicable law.
Suo motu	On its own motion
Supra	Above
Terra	Land
Uberrimae fidei	Of the utmost good faith
Ultra vires	Acting or done beyond one's legal power or authority
Verbatim	Word by word, exactly
Versus	Against
Veto	I forbid
Vice versa	The other way around
Vide	See
Videlicet (viz.)	Namely
Viva Voce	With living voice, by word of mouth
Vox populi	The opinions or beliefs of the majority, Voice of the people
Writ	A formal written order issued by a court in exercise of its jurisdiction.

How to use Latin legal expressions

Latin maxims are usually shorthand for established legal ideas, not substitutes for the governing statutory text or binding precedent. When a maxim appears in a judgment or pleading, read it together with the legal proposition for which the court or party relies on it.

For Indian legal research, verify the governing Act on India Code and check the relevant Supreme Court or High Court judgment before relying on a maxim as a proposition of law.