This page is one of a series listing 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 ancient Greek rhetoric and literature started centuries before the beginning of Latin literature in ancient Rome.
- This list covers the letter S. See List of Latin phrases for the main list.
Lists of Latin phrases
References| Latin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| saltus in demonstrando | leap in explaining | a leap in logic, by which a necessary part of an equation is omitted. |
| salus in arduis | a stronghold (or refuge) in difficulties | a Roman Silver Age maxim. Also the school motto of Wellingborough School. |
| salus populi suprema lex esto | the welfare of the people is to be the highest law | From Cicero's De Legibus, book III, part III, sub. VIII. Quoted by John Locke in his Second Treatise, On Civil Government, to describe the proper organization of government. Also the state motto of Missouri. |
| salva veritate | with truth intact | Refers to two expressions that can be interchanged without changing the truth value of the statements in which they occur. |
| Salvator Mundi | Savior of the World | Christian epithet, usually referring to Jesus. The title of paintings by Albrecht Dürer and Leonardo da Vinci. |
| salvo errore et omissione (s.e.e.o.) | save for error and omission | Used as a reservation on statements of financial accounts. Often now given in English "errors and omissions excluded" or "e&oe". |
| salvo honoris titulo (SHT) | save for title of honor | Addressing oneself to someone whose title is unknown. |
| Sancta Sedes | Holy Chair | literally, "holy seat". Refers to the Papacy or the Holy See. |
| sancta simplicitas | holy innocence | Or "sacred simplicity". |
| sancte et sapienter | in a holy and wise way | Also sancte sapienter (holiness, wisdom), motto of several institutions, notably King's College London |
| sanctum sanctorum | Holy of Holies | referring to a more sacred and/or guarded place, within a lesser guarded, yet also holy location. |
| sapere aude | dare to know | From Horace's Epistularum liber primus, Epistle II, line 40. Made popular in Kant's essay Answering the Question: What Is Enlightenment? defining the Age of Enlightenment. The phrase is common usage as a university motto. |
| sapiens dominabitur astris | the wise man will master the stars | Astrological aphorism and motto of the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence. |
| sapiens qui prospicit | wise is he who looks ahead | Motto of Malvern College, England |
| sapienti sat | enough for the wise | From Plautus. Indicates that something can be understood without any need for explanation, as long as the listener has enough wisdom or common sense. Often extended to dictum sapienti sat est ("enough has been said for the wise", commonly translated as "a word to the wise is enough"). |
| sapientia et doctrina | wisdom and learning | Motto of Fordham University, New York. Motto of Hill House School Doncaster, England. |
| sapientia et eloquentia | wisdom and eloquence | One of the mottos of the Ateneo schools in the Philippines. |
| sapientia et veritas | wisdom and truth | Motto of Christchurch Girls' High School, New Zealand. |
| sapientia et virtus | wisdom and virtue | Motto of the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. |
| sapientia ianua vitae | wisdom is the gateway to life | Motto of the Wirral Grammar School for Boys, Bebington, England. |
| sapientia melior auro | wisdom is better than gold | Motto of University of Deusto, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Spain. |
| sapientia, pax, fraternitas | Wisdom, Peace, Fraternity | Motto of Universidad de las Américas, Puebla, Cholula, Mexico. |
| sapientia potentia est | wisdom is power | Motto of the House of Akeleye, Sweden, Denmark, Czechoslovakia. |
| sat celeriter fieri quidquid fiat satis bene | That which has been done well has been done quickly enough | One of the two favorite maxims of Augustus. The other is "festina lente" ("hurry slowly", i. e., if you want to go fast, go slow). |
| scientia ac labore | By/from/with knowledge and labour | Motto of several institutions |
| scientia aere perennius | knowledge, more lasting than bronze | unknown origin, probably adapted from Horace's ode III (Exegi monumentum aere perennius). |
| scientia cum religione | religion and knowledge united | Motto of St Vincent's College, Potts Point |
| scientiae cedit mare | The sea yields to knowledge | Motto of the United States Coast Guard Academy. |
| scientia dux vitae certissimus | Science is the truest guide in life | Motto of the Middle East Technical University. |
| Scientiae et patriae | For science and fatherland | Motto of University of Latvia |
| scientia et labor | knowledge and work | motto of Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería |
| scientia et sapientia | knowledge and wisdom | motto of Illinois Wesleyan University |
| scientia imperii decus et tutamen | knowledge is the adornment and protection of the Empire | Motto of Imperial College London |
| scientia ipsa potentia est | knowledge itself is power | Stated originally by Sir Francis Bacon in Meditationes Sacrae (1597), which in modern times is often paraphrased as scientia est potestas or scientia potentia est (knowledge is power). |
| scientia, labor, libertas | science, labour, liberty | Motto of the Free University of Tbilisi. |
| scientia non olet | knowledge doesn't smell | A variation on Emperor Vespasian's pecunia non olet in Suetonius' De vita Caesarum. Used to say the way in which we learn something doesn't matter as long as it is knowledge acquired. |
| scientia vincere tenebras | conquering darkness by science | Motto of several institutions, such as the Brussels Free Universities (Université Libre de Bruxelles and Vrije Universiteit Brussel). |
| scilicet (sc. or ss.) | it is permitted to know | that is to say; to wit; namely; in a legal caption, it provides a statement of venue or refers to a location. |
| scio | I know | |
| scio me nihil scire | I know that I know nothing | |
| scire quod sciendum | knowledge which is worth having | motto of now defunct publisher Small, Maynard & Company |
| scribimus indocti doctique poemata passim | Each desperate blockhead dares to write | as translated by Philip Francis. From Horace, Epistularum liber secundus (1, 117) and quoted in Fielding's Tom Jones; lit: "Learned or not, we shall write poems without distinction." |
| scuto amoris divini | by the shield of God's love | The motto of Skidmore College |
| seculo seculorum | forever and ever | |
| secundum quid et simpliciter | according to something, absolutely | "unqualified generalization" in Aristotle's Sophistical Refutations |
| sed ipse spiritus postulat pro nobis, gemitibus inenarrabilibus | But the same Spirit intercedes incessantly for us, with inexpressible groans | Romans 8:26 |
| sed terrae graviora manent | But on earth, worse things await | Virgil, Aeneid 6:84. |
| sede vacante | with the seat being vacant | The "seat" refers to the Holy See; the vacancy refers to the interregnum between two popes. |
| sedes apostolica | apostolic chair | Synonymous with Sancta Sedes. |
| sedes incertae | seat (i.e. location) uncertain | Used in biological classification to indicate that there is no agreement as to which higher order grouping a taxon should be placed into. Abbreviated sed. incert. |
| sedet, aeternumque sedebit | sit, be seated forever | from Virgil's Aeneid 6:617: when you stop trying, then you lose |
| semel in anno licet insanire | once in a year one is allowed to go crazy | Concept expressed by various authors, such as Seneca, Saint Augustine and Horace. It became proverbial during the Middle Ages. |
| semper ad meliora | always towards better things | Motto of several institutions |
| semper anticus | always forward | Motto of the 45th Infantry Division (United States) and its successor, the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States) |
| semper apertus | always open | Motto of University of Heidelberg |
| semper ardens | always burning | Motto of Carl Jacobsen and name of a line of beers by Danish brewery Carlsberg. |
| semper eadem | ever the same | personal motto of Elizabeth I, appears above her royal coat of arms. Used as motto of Elizabeth College, Guernsey, Channel Islands, which was founded by Elizabeth I, and of Ipswich School, to whom Elizabeth granted a royal charter. Also the motto of the City of Leicester and Prince George's County. |
| semper excelsius | always higher | Motto of the K.A.V. Lovania Leuven and the House of Wrigley-Pimley-McKerr |
| semper fidelis | always faithful | Motto of several institutions, e.g. United States Marine Corps |
| semper fortis | always brave | Unofficial motto of the United States Navy |
| semper idem | always the same | Motto of Underberg |
| semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat | We're always in the manure; only the depth varies. | Lord de Ramsey, House of Lords, 21 January 1998 |
| semper instans | always threatening | Motto of 846 NAS Royal Navy |
| semper invicta | always invincible | Motto of Warsaw |
| semper liber | always free | Motto of the city of Victoria, British Columbia |
| semper libertas | always freedom | Motto of Prince George County, Virginia |
| semper maior | always more, always greater | Motto of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) |
| semper necessitas probandi incumbit ei qui agit | the necessity of proof always lies with the person who lays charges | Latin maxim often associated with the burden of proof in law or in philosophy |
| semper paratus | always prepared | Motto of several institutions, e.g. United States Coast Guard; see also nunquam non paratus (never unprepared) |
| semper primus | always first | Motto of several US military units |
| semper progrediens | always progressing | Motto of the island of Sint Maarten, of King City Secondary School in King City, Ontario, Canada and of Fairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia) |
| semper reformanda | always in need of being reformed | A phrase deriving from the Nadere Reformatie movement in the seventeenth century Dutch Reformed Church and widely but informally used in Reformed and Presbyterian churches today. It refers to the conviction of certain Reformed Protestant theologians that the church must continually re-examine itself in order to maintain its purity of doctrine and practice. The term first appeared in print in Jodocus van Lodenstein, Beschouwinge van Zion (Contemplation of Zion), Amsterdam, 1674. |
| semper supra | always above | Motto of the United States Space Force |
| semper sursum | always aim high | Motto of several institutions |
| semper vigilans | always vigilant | Motto of several institutions including the Civil Air Patrol of the United States Air Force, the city of San Diego, California |
| semper vigilo | always vigilant | Motto of the Scottish Police Forces, Scotland |
| Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) | The Senate and the People of Rome | The official name of the Roman Republic. "SPQR" was carried on battle standards by the Roman legions. In addition to being an ancient Roman motto, it remains the motto of the modern city of Rome. |
| sensu lato | with the broad, or general, meaning | Less literally, "in the wide sense". |
| sensu stricto cf. stricto sensu | "with the tight meaning" | Less literally, "in the strict sense". |
| sensus plenior | in the fuller meaning | In biblical exegesis, the deeper meaning intended by God, not intended by the human author. |
| sequere pecuniam | follow the money | In an effort to understand why things may be happening contrary to expectations, or even in alignment with them, this idiom suggests that keeping track of where money is going may show the basis for the observed behavior. Similar in spirit to the phrase cui bono (who gains?) or cui prodest (who advances?), but outside those phrases' historically legal context. |
| Sermo Tuus Veritas Est | Thy Word Is Truth | motto of the General Theological Seminary, Cornelius Fontem Esua |
| sero venientes male sedentes | those who are late are poorly seated | |
| sero venientibus ossa | those who are late get bones | |
| servabo fidem | Keeper of the faith | I will keep the faith. |
| serviam | I will serve | The answer of St. Michael the Archangel to the non serviam, "I will not serve" of Satan, when the angels were tested by God on whether they will serve an inferior being, a man, Jesus, as their Lord. |
| servus servorum Dei | servant of the servants of God | A title for the Pope. |
| sesquipedalia verba | words a foot and a half long | From Horace's Ars Poetica, "proicit ampullas et sesquipedalia verba" ("he throws down his high-flown language and his foot-and-a-half-long words"). A self-referential jab at long words and needlessly elaborate language in general. |
| Si comprehendis non est Deus | if you understand , it is not God | Augustine of Hippo, Sermo 117.3.5; PL 38, 663 |
| si dormiam capiar | If I sleep, I may be caught | Motto of HMS Wakeful (H88) |
| Si monumentum requiris circumspice | If you seek (his) monument, look around you | from the epitaph on Christopher Wren's tomb in St Paul's Cathedral. |
| Si non oscillas, noli tintinnare | If you can't swing, don't ring | Inscribed on a plaque above the front door of the Playboy mansion in Chicago. |
| si omnes... ego non | if all ones... not I | |
| si peccasse negamus fallimur et nulla est in nobis veritas | if we deny having made a mistake, we are deceived, and there's no truth in us | From Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, where the phrase is translated "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there's no truth in us." (cf. 1 John 1:8 in the New Testament) |
| si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice | if you seek a delightful peninsula, look around | Said to have been based on the tribute to architect Christopher Wren in St Paul's Cathedral, London: si monumentum requiris, circumspice (see above). State motto of Michigan, adopted in 1835; the spelling of 'peninsulam' is used in the motto, although the correct ancient spelling is 'paeninsulam'. |
| si quid novisti rectius istis, candidus imperti; si nil, his utere mecum. | if you can better these principles, tell me; if not, join me in following them | Horace, Epistles I :6, 67–68 |
| si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses | If you had kept your silence, you would have stayed a philosopher | This quote is often attributed to the Latin philosopher Boethius of the late fifth and early sixth centuries. It translates literally as, "If you had been silent, you would have remained a philosopher." The phrase illustrates a common use of the subjunctive verb mood. |
| si vales valeo (SVV) | if you are well, I am well (abbr) | A common beginning for ancient Roman letters. An abbreviation of si vales bene est ego valeo, alternatively written as SVBEEV. The practice fell out of fashion and into obscurity with the decline in Latin literacy. |
| si vis amari ama | If you want to be loved, love | This is often attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca, found in the sixth of his letters to Lucilius. |
| si vis pacem, para bellum | if you want peace, prepare for war | From Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De Re Militari. Origin of the name parabellum for some ammunition and firearms, such as the Luger Parabellum. (Similar to igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum and in pace ut sapiens aptarit idonea bello.) |
| sic | thus | Or "just so". States that the preceding quoted material appears exactly that way in the source, despite any errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact that may be present. Used only for previous quoted text; ita or similar must be used to mean "thus" when referring to something about to be stated. |
| sic currite ut comprehendatis | Run to win | More specifically, So run, that ye may obtain, 1 Corinthians 24. Motto of Divine Word University, Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
| sic et non | thus and not | More simply, "yes and no". |
| sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc | we gladly feast on those who would subdue us | Mock-Latin motto of The Addams Family. |
| sic infit | so it begins | |
| sic itur ad astra | thus you shall go to the stars | From Virgil, Aeneid book IX, line 641. Possibly the source of the ad astra phrases. Motto of several institutions, including the Royal Canadian Air Force. |
| sic parvis magna | greatness from small beginnings | Motto of Sir Francis Drake |
| sic passim | Thus here and there | Used when referencing books; see passim. |
| sic semper erat, et sic semper erit | Thus has it always been, and thus shall it ever be | |
| sic semper tyrannis | thus always to tyrants | Attributed to Brutus at the time of Julius Caesar's assassination and to John Wilkes Booth at the time of Abraham Lincoln's assassination; whether it was actually said at either of these events is disputed. State motto of Virginia, adopted in 1776. |
| sic transit gloria mundi | thus passes the glory of the world | A reminder that all things are fleeting. During Papal coronations, a monk reminds the Pope of his mortality by saying this phrase, preceded by pater sancte ("holy father") while holding before his eyes a burning paper illustrating the passing nature of earthly glories. This is similar to the tradition of a slave in a Roman triumphs whispering memento mori in the ear of the celebrant. |
| sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas | use yours so as not to harm of others | Or "use your property in such a way that you do not damage others'". A legal maxim related to property ownership laws, often shortened to simply sic utere ("use it thus"). |
| sic vita est | thus is life | Or "such is life". Indicates that a circumstance, whether good or bad, is an inherent aspect of living. |
| sic vos non vobis mellificates apes | Thus you not for yourselves make honey, bees. | Part of a verse written by Virgil after the poet Bathyllus plagiarized his work. |
| sidere mens eadem mutato | Though the constellations change, the mind is universal | Latin motto of the University of Sydney. |
| signetur (sig or S/) | let it be labeled | Medical shorthand |
| signum fidei | Sign of the Faith | Motto of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. |
| silentium est aureum | silence is golden | Latinization of the English expression "silence is golden". Also Latinized as silentium est aurum ("silence is gold"). |
| similia similibus curantur similia similibus curentur |
similar things are taken care of by similar things let similar things be taken care of by similar things |
"like is cured by like" and "let like be cured by like"; the first form ("curantur") is indicative, while the second form ("curentur") is subjunctive. The indicative form is found in Paracelsus (16th century), while the subjunctive form is said by Samuel Hahnemann, founder of homeopathy, and is known as the law of similars. |
| similia similibus solvuntur | similar substances will dissolve similar substances | Used as a general rule in chemistry; "like dissolves like" refers to the ability of polar or non polar solvents to dissolve polar or non polar solutes respectively. |
| simplex sigillum veri | simplicity is the sign of truth | expresses a sentiment akin to Keep It Simple, Stupid |
| sincere et constanter | sincere and constant | Motto of the Order of the Red Eagle |
| sine anno (s.a.) | without a year | Used in bibliographies to indicate that the date of publication of a document is unknown. |
| sine die | without a day | Originally from old common law texts, where it indicates that a final, dispositive order has been made in the case. In modern legal context, it means there is nothing left for the court to do, so no date for further proceedings is set, resulting in an "adjournment sine die". |
| Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus | without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus remains cold | without food and (alcoholic) drink, love will not ensue; from Terence's comedy Eunuchus (161 BC) |
| sine ira et studio | without anger and fondness | Thus, impartially. From Tacitus, Annals 1.1. |
| sine honoris titulo | without honorary title | Addressing oneself to someone whose title is unknown. |
| sine labore non erit panis in ore | without labour there will be no bread in mouth | |
| sine loco (s.l.) | without a place | Used in bibliographies to indicate that the place of publication of a document is unknown. |
| sine metu | "without fear" | Motto of Jameson Irish Whiskey |
| sine nomine (s.n.) | "without a name" | Used in bibliographies to indicate that the publisher of a document is unknown. |
| sine poena nulla lex | Without penalty, there is no law | Refers to the ineffectiveness of a law without the means of enforcement |
| sine prole | Without offspring | Frequently abbreviated to "s.p." or "d.s.p." (decessit sine prole – "died without offspring") in genealogical works. |
| sine prole superstite | Without surviving children | Without surviving offspring (even in abstract terms) |
| sine timore aut favore | Without Fear or Favor | St.George's School, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada motto |
| sine qua non | without which not | Used to denote something that is an essential part of the whole. See also condicio sine qua non. |
| sine remediis medicina debilis est | without remedies medicine is powerless | Inscription on a stained glass in the conference hall of a pharmaceutical mill in Kaunas, Lithuania. |
| sine scientia ars nihil est | without knowledge, skill is nothing | Motto of The International Diving Society and of the Oxford Medical Students' Society. |
| sisto activitatem | I cease the activity | Phrase, used to cease the activities of the Sejm upon the liberum veto principle |
| sit nomen Domini benedictum | blessed be the name of the Lord | Phrase used in a pontifical blessing imparted by a Catholic bishop |
| sit nomine digna | may it be worthy of the name | National motto of Rhodesia, also motto of Durbanville, South Africa |
| sit sine labe decus | let honour stainless be | Motto of the Brisbane Boys' College (Brisbane, Australia). |
| sit tibi terra levis | may the earth be light to you | Commonly used on gravestones, often contracted as S.T.T.L., the same way as today's R.I.P. |
| sit venia verbo | may there be forgiveness for the word | Similar to the English idiom "pardon my French". |
| socratici viri | "Socrates' men" or "Disciples of Socrates" | Coined by Cicero to refer to any who owe philosophical reasoning and method to Socrates. |
| sol iustitiae illustra nos | sun of justice, shine upon us | Motto of Utrecht University. |
| sol lucet omnibus | the sun shines on everyone | Petronius, Satyricon Lybri 100. |
| sol omnia regit | the sun rules over everything | Inscription near the entrance to Frombork Museum |
| sola fide | by faith alone | The material principle of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the Protestant claim that the Bible teaches that men are saved by faith even without works. |
| sola dosis facit venemum | the dose makes the poison | It is credited to Paracelsus who expressed the classic toxicology maxim "All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison." |
| sola gratia | by grace alone | A motto of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the Protestant claim that salvation is an unearned gift (cf. ex gratia), not a direct result of merit. |
| sola lingua bona est lingua mortua | the only good language is a dead language | Example of dog Latin humor. |
| sola scriptura | by scripture alone | The formal principle of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the Protestant idea that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority, not the Pope or tradition. |
| sola nobilitat virtus | virtue alone ennobles | Similar to virtus sola nobilitas |
| solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris | misery loves company | From Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. |
| soli Deo gloria (S.D.G.) | glory to God alone | A motto of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the idea that God is the creator of all good things and deserves all the praise for them. Johann Sebastian Bach often signed his manuscripts with the abbreviation S.D.G. to invoke this phrase, as well as with AMDG (ad maiorem Dei gloriam). The motto of the MasterWorks Festival, an annual Christian performing arts festival. |
| solus Christus | Christ alone | A motto of the Protestant Reformation and one of the five solas, referring to the Protestant claim that the Bible teaches that Jesus is the only mediator between God and mankind. Also rendered solo Christo ("by Christ alone"). |
| solus ipse | I alone | |
| solvitur ambulando | it is solved by walking | The problem is solved by taking a walk, or by simple experiment. |
| Spartam nactus es; hanc exorna | your lot is cast in Sparta, be a credit to it | from Euripides's Telephus, Agamemnon to Menelaus. |
| specialia generalibus derogant | special departs from general | |
| species nova | new species | Used in biological taxonomy |
| spectemur agendo | let us be judged by our acts | Motto of Hawthorn Football Club |
| Speculum Dinae | Diana's Mirror | Lake Nemi as referred to by poets and painters |
| speculum speculorum | mirror of mirrors | |
| spem gregis | the hope of the flock | from Virgil's Eclogues |
| spem reduxit | he has restored hope | Motto of New Brunswick. |
| spero meliora | I aspire to greater things | Also translated "I expect better" and "I hope for better things." |
| spes bona | good hope | Motto of University of Cape Town. |
| spes vincit thronum | hope conquers (overcomes) the throne | Refers to Revelation 3:21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." On the John Winthrop family tombstone, Boston, Massachusetts. |
| spiritus mundi | spirit of the world | From The Second Coming (poem) by William Butler Yeats. Refers to Yeats' belief that each human mind is linked to a single vast intelligence, and that this intelligence causes certain universal symbols to appear in individual minds. The idea is similar to Carl Jung's concept of the collective unconscious. |
| spiritus ubi vult spirat | the spirit spreads wherever it wants | Refers to The Gospel of Saint John 3:8, where he mentions how Jesus told Nicodemus "The wind blows wherever it wants, and even though you can hear its noise, you don't know where it comes from or where it goes. The same thing happens to whomever has been born of the Spirit." It is the motto of Cayetano Heredia University |
| splendor sine occasu | brightness without setting | Loosely "splendour without diminishment" or "magnificence without ruin". Motto of British Columbia. |
| stamus contra malo | we stand against by evil | The motto of the Jungle Patrol in The Phantom. The phrase actually violates Latin grammar because of a mistranslation from English, as the preposition contra takes the accusative case. The correct Latin rendering of "we stand against evil" would be "stamus contra malum". |
| stante pede | with a standing foot | "Immediately". |
| stare decisis | to stand by the decided things | To uphold previous rulings, recognize precedent. |
| stat rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus | the rose of old remains only in its name; we hold only empty names | An epigraph quoted at the end of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. A verse by Bernard of Cluny (although likely mistranscribed in medieval times from an original stat Roma pristina nomine..., "primordial Rome remains only in its name..."). |
| stat sua cuique dies | There is a day for everybody | Virgil, Aeneid, X 467 |
| statim (stat) | "immediately" | Medical shorthand used following an urgent request. |
| statio bene fide carinis | A safe harbour for ships | Motto of Cork City, Ireland. Adapted from Virgil's Aeneid (II, 23: statio male fida carinis, "an unsafe harbour") but corrupted for unknown reasons to "fide". |
| status aparte | separate state | The special status of Aruba between 1986 and 2010 as a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, separate from the Netherlands Antilles to which it belonged until 1986. |
| status quaestionis | the state of investigation | most commonly employed in scholarly literature to refer in a summary way to the accumulated results, scholarly consensus, and areas remaining to be developed on any given topic. |
| status quo | the state in which | The current condition or situation. |
| status quo ante | the state in which before | The state of affairs prior to some upsetting event. Often used as a legal term. |
| status quo ante bellum | the state before the war | A common term in peace treaties. |
| stet | let it stand | Marginal mark in proofreading to indicate that something previously deleted or marked for deletion should be retained. |
| stet fortuna domus | let the fortune of the house stand | First part of the motto of Harrow School, England, and inscribed upon Ricketts House, at the California Institute of Technology. |
| stipendium peccati mors est | the reward of sin is death | From Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. (See Rom 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.") |
| strenuis ardua cedunt | the heights yield to endeavour | Motto of the University of Southampton. |
| stricto sensu cf. sensu stricto | with the tight meaning | Less literally, "in the strict sense". |
| stupor mundi | the wonder of the world | A title given to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. More literally translated "the bewilderment of the world", or, in its original, pre-Medieval sense, "the stupidity of the world". |
| sua sponte | by its own accord | Legal term when a court takes up a motion on its own initiative, not because any of the parties to the case has made the motion. The regimental motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment of the U.S. Army. |
| suaviter in modo, fortiter in re | gently in manner, resolutely in execution | Motto of Essendon Football Club |
| sub anno | under the year | Commonly abbreviated s.a., it is used to cite events recorded in chronicles according to the year under which they are listed. For example, "ASC MS A, s.a. 855" means the entry for the year 855 in manuscript A of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. |
| sub cruce lumen | The Light Under the Cross | Motto of the University of Adelaide, Australia. Refers to the figurative "light of learning" and the Southern Cross constellation, Crux. |
| sub divo | under the wide open sky | Also, "under the sky", "in the open air", "out in the open" or "outdoors". Ablative "divo" does not distinguish divus, divi, a god, from divum, divi, the sky. |
| sub finem | toward the end | Used in citations to refer to the end of a book, page, etc., and abbreviated 's.f.' Used after the page number or title. E.g., 'p. 20 s.f. ' |
| sub Iove frigido | under cold Jupiter | At night; from Horace's Odes 1.1:25 |
| sub judice | under a judge | Said of a case that cannot be publicly discussed until it is finished. Also sub iudice. |
| sub poena | under penalty | Source of the English noun subpoena. Said of a request, usually by a court, that must be complied with on pain of punishment. Examples include sub poena duces tecum ("take with you under penalty"), a court summons to appear and produce tangible evidence, and sub poena ad testificandum ("under penalty to testify"), a summons to appear and give oral testimony. |
| sub rosa | under the rose | "In secret", "privately", "confidentially", or "covertly". In the Middle Ages, a rose was suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber to indicate that what was said in the "under the rose" was not to be repeated outside. This practice originates in Greek mythology, where Aphrodite gave a rose to her son Eros, and he, in turn, gave it to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to ensure that his mother's indiscretions—or those of the gods in general, in other accounts—were kept under wraps. |
| sub nomine (sub nom.) | under the name | "in the name of", "under the title of"; used in legal citations to indicate the name under which the litigation continued. |
| sub silentio | under silence | implied but not expressly stated. |
| sub specie aeternitatis | under the sight of eternity | Thus, "from eternity's point of view". From Spinoza, Ethics. |
| sub specie Dei | under the sight of God | "from God's point of view or perspective". |
| sub tuum praesidium | Beneath thy compassion | Name of the oldest extant hymn to the Theotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary). Also "under your protection". A popular school motto. |
| Sub umbra floreo | Under the shade I flourish | National Motto of Belize, referring to the shade of the mahogany tree. |
| sub verbo; sub voce | Under the word or heading; abbreviated s.v. Used to cite a work, such as a dictionary, with alphabetically arranged entries, e.g. "Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. 'horse.'"" | |
| sublimis ab unda | Raised from the waves | Motto of King Edward VII and Queen Mary School, Lytham |
| subsiste sermonem statim | stop speaking immediately | |
| Succisa virescit | Cut down, we grow back stronger | Motto of Delbarton School |
| Sudetia non cantat | One doesn't sing on the Sudeten Mountains | Saying from Hanakia |
| sui generis | Of its own kind | In a class of its own; of a unique kind. E.g. "The City of London is a sui generis entity, with ancient rights that differ from all other jurisdictions in the United Kingdom." |
| sui iuris | Of one's own right | Capable of responsibility. Has both legal and ecclesiastical use. Commonly rendered sui juris. |
| sum quod eris | I am what you will be | A gravestone inscription to remind the reader of the inevitability of death (cf. memento mori). Also rendered fui quod sis ("I have been what you are") and tu fui ego eris ("I have been you, you will be I"). |
| sum quod sum | I am what I am | from Augustine's Sermon No. 76. |
| summa cum laude | with highest praise | |
| summa potestas | sum or totality of power | It refers to the final authority of power in government. For example, power of the Sovereign. |
| summa summarum | all in all | Literally "sum of sums". When a short conclusion is rounded up at the end of some elaboration. |
| summum bonum | the supreme good | Literally "highest good". Also summum malum ("the supreme evil"). |
| summum ius, summa iniuria | supreme law, supreme injustice | From Cicero (De officiis, I, 10, 33). An acritical application of law, without understanding and respect of laws's purposes and without considering the overall circumstances, is often a means of supreme injustice. A similar sentence appears in Terence (Heautontimorumenos, IV, 5): Ius summum saepe summa est malitia ("supreme justice is often out of supreme malice (or wickedness)"). |
| sumptibus auctoris | published by author | Found in self-published academic books of the 17th to 19th century. Often preceded by Latin name of city in which the work is published. |
| sunt lacrimae rerum | there are tears for things | From Virgil, Aeneid. Followed by et mentem mortalia tangunt ("and mortal things touch my mind"). Aeneas cries as he sees Carthaginian temple murals depicting the deaths of the Trojan War. See also hinc illae lacrimae. |
| sunt omnes unum | they are all one | |
| sunt pueri pueri, pueri puerilia tractant | Children are children, and children do childish things | anonymous proverb |
| sunt superis sua iura | the gods have their own laws | From Ovid's Metamorphoses, book IX, line 500; also used by David Hume in The Natural History of Religion, chapter XIII |
| suo jure | in one's own right | Used in the context of titles of nobility, for instance where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage. |
| suo motu | upon one's own initiative | Also rendered suo moto. Usually used when a court of law, upon its own initiative, (i.e., no petition has been filed) proceeds against a person or authority that it deems has committed an illegal act. It is used chiefly in South Asia. |
| suos cultores scientia coronat | Knowledge crowns those who seek her | The motto of Syracuse University, New York. |
| super firmum fundamentum dei | On the firm foundation of God | The motto of Ursinus College, Pennsylvania. |
| super fornicam | on the lavatory | Where Thomas More accused the reformer, Martin Luther, of going to celebrate Mass. |
| superbia in proelia | pride in battle | Motto of Manchester City F.C. |
| superbus via inscientiae | proud of the way of ignorance | Motto of the Alien Research Labs of the fictional Black Mesa Research Facility in the video game Half-Life (1998) |
| supero omnia | I surpass everything | A declaration that one succeeds above all others. |
| surdo oppedere | to belch before the deaf | From Erasmus' collection of annotated Adagia (1508): a useless action. |
| surgam | I shall rise | Motto of Columbia University's Philolexian Society. |
| sursum corda | Lift up your hearts | Motto of Haileybury College, Hertfordshire. The opening dialogue to the preface of the Eucharistic Prayer or Anaphora in the liturgies of the Christian Church. Hymnal for the German diocese of Paderborn from 1874 to 1975. |
| sutor, ne ultra crepidam | Cobbler, no further than the sandal! | Thus, don't offer your opinion on things that are outside your competence. It is said that the Greek painter Apelles once asked the advice of a cobbler on how to render the sandals of a soldier he was painting. When the cobbler started offering advice on other parts of the painting, Apelles rebuked him with this phrase in Greek, and it subsequently became a popular Latin expression. |
| suum cuique tribuere | to render to every man his due | One of Justinian I's three basic precepts of law. Also shortened to suum cuique ("to each his own"). |
| s.v. | Abbreviation for sub verbo or sub voce (see above). |
References
- Peter A. Mackridge; Robert Browning; Donald William Lucas; et al. "Greek literature". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- John Nery (11 December 2006). "The Jesuits' Fault". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 15 August 2022 – via johnnery.wordpress.com.
- "Glory In Stability And Moderation". Forbes. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
- Quintus Horatius Flaccus. "Q. Horati Flacci Epistvlarvm Liber Secvndvs" (in Latin). The Latin Library. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- Aristotle, Sophistical Refutations, ch. 5
- "Osborne Wrigley-Pimley-McKerr III", United States Heraldic Registry
- Column 1532, Lords Hansard, 21 January 1998
- Michael Bush, "Calvin and the Reformanda Sayings", in Herman J. Selderhuis, ed., Calvinus sacrarum literarum interpres: Papers of the International Congress on Calvin Research (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008) p. 286. ISBN 978-3-525-56914-6
- Hildebrand, J. H. and Scott, R. L. (1950),The Solubility of Nonelectrolytes, 3rd ed., American Chemical Society Monograph No. 17, Reinhold Publishing Corporation.
- Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum, xiv. 9.
- George Grote, A History of Greece: Volume VIII, Harper, 1879, p. 208, n. 1.
- "Spartam nactus es; hanc exorna", note from Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) by Edmund Burke
- "The Lake of Nemi called Speculum Diane – YCBA Collections Search".
- "University motto". Cayetano-pae.org. 1989-10-14. Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
- "Medical Definition of STATIM". www.merriam-webster.com.
- "Augustini Sermo LXXVI". Hiphi.ubbcluj.ro. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
Additional references
- Adeleye, Gabriel G. (1999). Thomas J. Sienkewicz; James T. McDonough Jr. (eds.). World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions. Wauconda, Illinois: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. ISBN 0865164223.
- Stone, Jon R. (1996). Latin for the Illiterati. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415917751.
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