Latin Terms Flashcards
de jure
Meaning?
Use?
“by right”
Used to describe a practice that exists by right or according to law.
de facto
Meaning?
Use?
“from the fact”
Used to describe something that is factual in effect though not formally recognized.
in medias res
Meaning?
Use?
“in the middle of things”
Used to describe a story that begins in the middle of a narrative or without a preamble.
a priori
Meaning?
Use?
“from what is before”
Refers to knowledge acquired independently of experience or formal education, intuitive logic, e.g., every child has a mother; If I have more than Tom, and Sam has more than me, then Sam has more than Tom.
a posteriori
Meaning?
Use?
“from what is after”
Refers to knowledge that is derived from experience and scientific or sensory observation, e.g.,
ad infinitum
Meaning?
Use?
“to infinity” or “forevermore”
Used to describe something that is literally (or sometimes figuratively) infinite, e.g., the universe, a double shift at work
et alia
Correct abbreviation?
Meaning?
Use?
Et al.
“and others”
Used to show that names have been excluded when citing a work by several authors (e.g. Smith et al., 2014).
ibidem
Correct abbreviation?
Meaning?
Use?
Ibid.
“in the same place”
Used when citing the same source twice in a row.
loco citato
Correct abbreviation?
Meaning?
Use?
Loc. Cit.
“in the same place”
Used for non-consecutive citations of sources.
opere citato
Correct abbreviation?
Meaning?
Use?
Op. Cit.
“in the work cited”
Used for non-consecutive citations of sources.
confer
Correct abbreviation?
Meaning?
Use?
Cf.
“compare”
Used to point the reader towards additional reading material.
Passim
Meaning?
Use?
“here and there” or “everywhere”
Used to show that an idea appears in various parts of a source, not just in one place.
Sic (sic eras scriptum)
Meaning?
Use?
“thus” (thus it was written)
Used to indicate that a quote has been reproduced exactly as it appears in the source text, complete with any errors.
