List of Latin legal terms

A number of Latin terms are used in legal terminology and legal maxims. This is a partial list of these "legal Latin" terms, which are wholly or substantially drawn from Latin.

A

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
a fortiori	from stronger	An a fortiori argument is an "argument from a stronger reason", meaning that because one fact is true, that a second related and included fact must also be true.
a posteriori	from later	An argument derived from subsequent event
a priori	from earlier	An argument derived from previous event
a quo	previous	Regarding a court of first instance, or the decision/s of a previous court, known as the court a quo.
ab extra	from outside	Concerning a case, a person may have received some funding from a 3rd party. This funding may have been considered ab extra.
ab initio	from the beginning
actus reus	guilty act	Part of what proves criminal liability (with mens rea)
ad coelum	to the sky	Abbreviated from Cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad infernos which translates to "[for] whoever owns [the] soil, [it] is his all the way [up] to Heaven and [down] to Hell." The principle that the owner of a parcel of land also owns the air above and the ground below the parcel.
ad colligenda bona	to collect the goods
ad hoc	for this	Generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes.
ad hominem	at the person	Attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.
ad idem	to the same thing	In agreement.
ad infinitum	to infinity	To continue forever.
ad litem	for the case	Describes a party designated to represent another party who is deemed incapable of representing him/herself (e.g. a child or incapacitated adult).
ad quod damnum	according to the harm	Used in tort law. Implies that the reward or penalty ought to correspond to the damage suffered or inflicted.
ad valorem	according to value
adjournment sine die	adjournment without a day	When an assembly adjourns without setting a date for its next meeting.
affidavit	he has sworn	A formal statement of fact.
alter ego	another I	A second identity living within a person.
a mensa et thoro	from bed and table	Divorce a mensa et thoro indicates legal separation without legal divorce.
amicus curiae	friend of the court	A person who offers information to a court regarding a case before it.
animus nocendi	mind of harming	The subjective state of mind of the author of a crime, with reference to the exact knowledge of illegal content of his behaviour, and of its possible consequences.
ante	before
arguendo	for the sake of argument
Articulo Mortis	at the point of Death	Often used in probate law, as well as for testimony in the sense of a "dying declaration."
Audi alteram partem	hear the other side	Refers to the idea that one cannot be fairly judged unless the cases for and against them have been heard.

B

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
bona fide	in good faith.	Implies sincere good intention regardless of outcome.
bona vacantia	ownerless goods

C

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
Cadit quaestio	The question falls	Indicates that a settlement to a dispute or issue has been reached, and the issue is now resolved.
Casus belli	Case of war	The justification for acts of war.
Caveat	He may beware of	When used by itself, refers to a qualification, or warning.
Caveat emptor	Let the buyer beware	In addition to the general warning, also refers to a legal doctrine wherein a buyer could not get relief from a seller for defects present on property which rendered it unfit for use.
Certiorari	To be more fully informed	A type of writ seeking judicial review.
Ceteris paribus	With other things the same.	More commonly rendered in English as "All other things being equal."
cogitationis poenam nemo patitur	Nobody suffers punishment for mere intent
compos mentis	Having command of mind	Of sound mind. Also used in the negative "Non compos mentis", meaning "Not of sound mind".
Condicio sine qua non	A condition without which it could not be	An indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient.
consensus facit legem	Consensus makes the law	Stipulates that when two or more persons arrive at a good faith agreement, the law will insist on that agreement being carried out.
consuetudo pro lege servatur	Custom is held as law	Where no laws apply to a given situation, the customs of the place and time will have the force of law.
contra	Against	Used in case citations to indicate that the cited source directly contradicts the point being made.
contra bonos mores	Against good morals	Contracts so made are generally illegal and unenforceable.
contra legem	Against the law	Used when a court or tribunal hands down a decision that is contrary to the laws of the governing state.
Contradictio in adjecto	Contradiction in itself	A contradiction in terms.
contra proferentem	Against the one bringing forth	Used in contract law to stipulate that an ambiguous term in a contract shall be interpreted against the interests of the party that insisted upon the term's inclusion. Prevents the intentional additions of ambiguous terminology from being exploited by the party who insisted on its inclusion.
coram non judice	Before one who is not a judge	Refers to a legal proceeding without a judge, or with a judge who does not have proper jurisdiction.
corpus delicti	Body of the crime	A person cannot be convicted of a crime, unless it can be proven that the crime was even committed.
corpus juris	Body of law	The complete collection of laws of a particular jurisdiction or court.
corpus juris civilis	Body of civil law	The complete collection of civil laws of a particular jurisdiction or court. Also sometimes used to refer to the Code of Justinian.
corpus juris gentium	Body of the law of nations	The complete collection of international law.
corpus juris secundum		An encyclopedia of US law drawn from US Federal and State court decisions.
crimen falsi	Crime of falsifying	Forgery.
cui bono	As a benefit to whom?	Suggests that the perpetrator(s) of a crime can often be found by investigating those who would have benefited financially from the crime, even if it is not immediately obvious.
cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos	For whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven and down to Hell	Used in reference to the rights of property owners to the air above, and land below, their property.

D

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
de bonis asportatis	Carrying goods away	Specifies that larceny was taking place in addition to any other crime named. E.g. "trespass de bonis asportatis".
debellatio	Warring down	Complete annihilation of a warring party, bringing about the end of the conflict.
de bonis non administratis	Of goods not administered	Assets of an estate remaining after the death (or removal) of the designated estate administrator. An "administrator de bonis non administratis" will then be appointed to dispose of these goods.
de die in diem	From day to day	Generally refers to a type of labor in which the worker is paid fully at the completion of each day's work.
de facto	Concerning fact	Often used to mean something that is true in practice, but has not been officially instituted or endorsed. "For all intents and purposes."
de futuro	Concerning the future	At a future date.
de integro	Concerning the whole	Often used to mean "start it all over", in the context of "repeat de integro".
de jure	Concerning the law	Something that is established in law, whether or not it is true in general practice. C.f. de facto.
de lege ferenda	Of the future law	Used in the context of "how the law should be", such as for proposed legislation.
de lege lata	Of the law as it exists	Concerning the law as it exists, without consideration of how things should be.
delegatus non potest delegare	"No delegated powers can be further delegated."
de minimis	About minimal things	Various legal areas concerning small amounts or small degrees.
de minimis non curat lex	The law does not concern itself with minimal things	There must be a minimal level of substance or impact in order to bring a legal action.
de mortuis nil nisi bonum	Of the dead, [speak] nothing unless good	Social convention that it is inappropriate to speak ill of the recently deceased, even if they were an enemy.
de novo	Anew	Often used in the context of "trial de novo"—a new trial ordered when the previous one failed to reach a conclusion.
defalcation	Cutting off with a sickle	Misappropriation of funds by one entrusted with them.
dictum	Proverb	A statement given some weight or consideration due to the respect given the person making it.
doli incapax	Incapable of guilt	Presumption that young children or persons with diminished mental capacity cannot form the intent to commit a crime.
dolus specialis	Specific intent	Heavily used in the context of genocide in international law.
dubia in meliorem partem interpretari debent	Doubtful things should be interpreted in the best way	Often spoken as "to give the benefit of the doubt."
duces tecum	Bring with you	A "subpoena duces tecum" is a summons to produce physical evidence for a trial.

E

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
ei incumbit probatio qui dicit	Proof lies on him who asserts, not on him who denies.	The concept that one is innocent until proven guilty.
ejusdem generis	Of the same class.	Known as a "canon of construction", it states that when a limited list of specific things also includes a more general class, that the scope of that more general class shall be limited to other items more like the specific items in the list.
eo nomine	By that name.
erga omnes	Towards all.	Refers to rights or obligations that are owed towards all.
ergo	Therefore
erratum	Having been made in error.
et al.	Among others	Abbreviation of et alii, meaning "among others".
et cetera	And other things.	Generally used in the sense of "and so forth".
et seq.	And the following ones	Abbreviation of et sequens, meaning "and the following ones". Used in citations to indicate that the cited portion extends to the pages following the cited page.
et uxor	And wife.	Usually used instead of naming a man's wife as a party in a case.
et vir	And husband.	Usually used instead of naming a woman's husband as a party in a case.
ex aequo et bono	Of equity and [the] good.	Usually defined as "what is right and good." Used to describe the power of a judge or arbiter to consider only what is fair and good for the specific case, and not necessarily what the law may require. In courts, usually only done if all parties agree.
ex ante	Of before.	Essentially meaning "before the event", usually used when forecasting future events.
ex cathedra	From the chair	Where chair refers to authority or position. Authority derived from one's position.
ex concessis	From what has been conceded already	Often used in a "guilt by association" context.
ex delicto	From a transgression	The consequence of a crime or tort.
ex facie	On the face	If a contract is blatantly and obviously incorrect or illegal, it can be considered void ex facie without any further analysis or arguments.
ex gratia	By favor	Something done voluntarily and with no expectation a legal liability arising therefrom.
ex injuria jus non oritur	Law does not arise from injustice	A principle in international law that unjust acts cannot create laws.
ex officio	From the office	Something done or realized by the fact of holding an office or position.
ex parte	From [for] one party	A decision reached, or case brought, by or for one party without the other party being present.
ex post	From after	Based on knowledge of the past.
ex post facto	From a thing done afterward	Commonly said as "after the fact."
ex post facto law		A retroactive law. E.g. a law that makes a past act illegal that was not illegal when it was done.
expressio unius est exclusio alterius	The express mention of one thing excludes all others	When items are listed, anything not explicitly stated is assumed to not be included.
ex proprio motu	By [one's] own motion	Commonly spoken as "by one's own accord."
ex rel	By relation	Abbreviation of ex relatione, meaning "by relation", or commonly "on behalf of". Often used when the government brings a case on behalf of another party.
ex turpi causa non oritur actio	From a dishonorable cause an action does not arise	A party cannot bring a legal action for consequences of his own illegal act.
exempli gratia	For the sake of example	Usually abbreviated "e.g.".
ex tunc	From the outset	Term used in contract law to specify terms that are voided or confirmed in effect from the execution of the contract. C.f. ex nunc.
ex nunc	From now on	Term used in contract law to specify terms that are voided or confirmed in effect only in the future and not prior to the contract, or its adjudication. C.f. ex tunc.
extant	Existing	Refers to things that are currently existing at a given point, rather than things that are no longer so.

F

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
facio ut facias	I do, that you may do	A type of contract wherein one party agrees to do work for the other, in order that the second party can then perform some work for the first in exchange.
favor contractus	Favor of the contract	A concept in treaty law that prefers the maintaining of a contract over letting it expire for purely procedural reasons.
felo de se	Felon of himself	A suicide. This archaic term stems from English common law, where suicide was legally a felony, thus a person who committed suicide was treated as a felon for purposes of estate disposal.
ferae naturae	Animals of nature	Wild animals residing on unowned property do not belong to any party in a dispute on the land.
fiat	Let it be done	A warrant issued by a judge for some legal proceedings.
Fiat justitia et pereat mundus	Let there be justice, though the world perish.	Often used as a motto, notably by Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor.
fiat justitia ruat caelum	Let justice be done though the heavens fall.	Also sometimes a motto, a legal maxim that justice must be done regardless of the result otherwise.
fieri facias	That you cause to be made	A writ ordering the local law enforcement to ensure that damages awarded by the court are properly recovered. A writ of execution.
flagrante delicto	Blazing offense	Refers to the actual act of committing a crime. Usually appears as in flagrante delicto, where it means "caught in the act."
forum non conveniens	Forum not agreeing	A concept wherein a court refuses to hear a particular matter, citing a more appropriate forum for the issue to be decided.
fumus boni iuris	Smoke of a good right	Refers to having a sufficient legal basis to bring legal action.
functus officio	Having performed his office	A person, court, statute, or legal document that has no legal authority, because its original legal purpose has been fulfilled.

G

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
generalia specialibus non derogant	The general does not detract from the specific.	Specifies that a certain matter of law be covered by the most specific laws pertaining, in the event that broader laws conflict with the specific one.
gravamen	Things weighing down	The basic element or complaint of a lawsuit.
guardian ad litem	Guardian for the case.	An independent party appointed in family law disputes to represent parties that cannot represent themselves, such as minors, developmentally disabled, or elderly.

H

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
habeas corpus	May you have the body	A writ used to challenge the legality of detention. Orders the detaining party to "have the (living) body" of the detained brought before the court where the detention will be investigated.
hostis humani generis	Enemy of humanity in general.	A party considered to be the enemy of all nations, such as maritime pirates.

I

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
i.e.	That is	Abbreviation of id est, meaning "that is", in the sense of restating something that may not have been clear.
ibid.	In the same place	Abbreviation of ibidem, meaning "in the same place. Used when citing sources, to indicate the cited source came from the identical location as the preceding one.
idem	The same	Used in citations to indicate the cited source came from the same source as the preceding one, though not necessarily the same page or location. C.f. ibid.
ignorantia juris non excusat	Ignorance of the law is no excuse.	A principle that states that not having knowledge of a law is not an excuse for breaking it.
imprimatur	Let it be printed.	An authorization for a document to be printed. Used in the context of approval by a religious body or other censoring authority.
in absentia	In absence	A legal proceeding conducted without the presence of one party is said to be conducted in absentia.
in camera	In the chamber	Conducted in private, or in secret. The opposite of in open court.
in curia	In court	Conducted in open court. The opposite of in camera.
in esse	In existence	Actually existing in reality. Opposite of in posse.
in extenso	In the extended	In extended form, or at full length. Often used to refer to publication of documents, where it means the full unabridged document is published.
in extremis	In the extreme	In extreme circumstances. Often used to refer to "at the point of death."
in flagrante delicto	In blazing offense	Caught in the actual act of committing a crime. Often used as a euphemism for a couple caught in the act of sexual intercourse, though it technically refers to being "caught in the act" of any misdeed.
in forma pauperis	In the manner of a pauper	Someone unable to afford the costs associated with a legal proceeding. As this will not be a barrier to seeking justice, such persons are given in forma pauperis status (usually abbreviated IFP), wherein most costs are waived or substantially reduced.
in futuro	In the future	Refers to things to come, or things that may occur later but are not so now.
in haec verba	In these words	Used when including text in a complaint verbatim, where its appearance in that form is germane to the case, or is required to be included.
in limine	At the threshold	A motion to a judge in a case that is heard and considered outside the presence of the jury.
in loco parentis	In the place of a parent	Used to refer to a person or entity assuming the normal parental responsibilities for a minor. This can be used in transfers of legal guardianship, or in the case of schools or other institutions that act in the place of the parents on a day-to-day basis.
in mitius	In the milder	A type of retroactive law that decriminalizes offenses committed in the past. Also known as an amnesty law.
in omnibus	In all	Used to mean "in every respect." Something applying to every aspect of a situation.
in pari delicto	In equal offense	Used when both parties to a case are equally at fault.
in pari materia	In the same matter	Refers to a situation where a law or statute may be ambiguous, and similar laws applying to the matter are used to interpret the vague one.
in personam	In person	Used in the context of "directed at this particular person", refers to a judgement or subpoena directed at a specific named individual. C.f. in rem.
in pleno	In full
in prope persona	On one's own person	One who represents themselves in court without the [official] assistance of an attorney.
in propria persona	In one's own proper person	Alternate form of in prope persona. One who represents themselves in court without the [official] assistance of an attorney.
in re	In the matter [of]	Used in the title of a decision or comment to identify the matter they are related to.
in rem	About a thing	Used in the context of a case against property, as opposed to a particular person. C.f. in personam.
in situ	In position	Often used in the context of decisions or rulings about a property or thing "left in place" after the case as it was before.
in solidum	For the whole	Where a group of persons share liability for a debt, such as co-signers to a loan, the debtor can sue a single party in solidum, that is, to recover the entire amount owed.
in terrorem	In order to frighten	A warning or threat to sue, made in the hopes of convincing the other party to take action to avoid a lawsuit.
in terrorem clause	Clause "in order to frighten"	A clause in a will that threatens any party who contests the will with being disinherited. Also called a no-contest clause.
in toto	In total
indicia	Indications	Often used in copyright notices. Refers to distinctive markings that identify a piece of intellectual property.
infra	Below or Under
innuendo	By nodding	A intimation about someone or something, made indirectly or vaguely suggesting the thing being implied. Often used when the implied thing is negative or derogatory.
inter alia	Among others	Used to indicate an item cited has been pulled from a larger or more complete list.
inter arma enim silent leges	For among arms, the law falls silent	A concept that during war, many illegal activities occur. Also taken to mean that in times of war, laws are suppressed, ostensibly for the good of the country.
inter rusticos	Among rustics	Refers to contract, debts, or other agreements made between parties who are not legal professionals.
inter se	Amongst themselves	Refers to obligations between members of the same group or party, differentiated from the whole party's obligations to another party.
inter vivos	Between the living	Refers to a gift or other non-sale transfer between living parties. This is in contrast to a will, where the transfer takes effect upon one party's death.
intra	Within
intra fauces terra	Within the jaws of the land	This term refers to a nation's territorial waters.
intra legem	Within the law	Used in various contexts to refer to the legal foundation for a thing.
intra vires	Within the powers	Something done which requires legal authority, and the act is performed accordingly. C.f. ultra vires.
ipse dixit	He himself said it	An assertion given undue weight solely by virtue of the person making the assertion.
ipsissima verba	The very words	Referring to a document or ruling that is being quoted by another.
ipso facto	By the fact itself	Used in the context that one event is a direct and immediate consequence of another. "In and of itself."
iudex non calculat	The judge does not calculate	A principle that calculation errors made by the court do not invalidate the judgement on a technicality. Also taken to mean that the judge does not tally up the arguments of both sides and decide in favor of the more numerous, but rather weighs all of the evidence without regard to the number of arguments made.

J

J is often rendered as I in Latin, so the below definitions are also seen with I as the first letter.

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
jura novit curia	The court knows the law	Concept that parties to a case to not need to define how the law applies to their case. The court is solely responsible for determining what laws apply.
jurat	Sworn	Appears at the end of an affidavit, where the party making the affirmation signs the oath, and the information on whom the oath was sworn before is placed.
juris et de jure	Of law, and from law	Incontrovertible and fundamental presumptions of law. One cannot argue against, or try to otherwise refute these.
jus	That which is binding	Essentially: Law.
jus ad bellum	Laws to war	Refers to legalities considered before entering into a war, to ensure it is legal to go to war initially. Not to be confused with ius in bello (q.v.), the "laws of war" concerning how war is carried out.
jus civile	Civil law	A codified set of laws concerning citizenry, and how the laws apply to them.
jus cogens	Compelling law	Internationally agreed laws that bear no deviation, and do not require treaties to be in effect. An example is law prohibiting genocide.
jus commune	Common law	Not actually referring to common law, this term refers to common facets of civil law that underlie all aspects of the law.
jus gentium	Law of nations	Customary law followed by all nations. Nations being at peace with one another, without having to have an actual peace treaty in force, would be an example of this concept.
jus in bello	Law of war	Laws governing the conduct of parties in war.
jus inter gentes	Law between the peoples	Laws governing treaties and international agreements.
jus naturale	Natural law	Laws common to all people, that the average person would find reasonable, regardless of their nationality.
jus primae noctis	Law of the first night	Supposed right of the lord of an estate to take the virginity of women in his estate on their wedding night.
jus sanguinis	Law of blood	Social law concept wherein citizenship of a nation is determined by having one or both parents being citizens.
jus soli	Law of soil	Social law concept wherein citizenship of a nation is determined by place of birth.
jus tertii	Law of the third	Arguments made by a third party in disputes over possession, the intent of which is to question one of the principal parties' claims of ownership or rights to ownership.

L

Term/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition and Use
lacunae	Void, gap	A situation arising that is not covered by any law. Generally used in International Law, as all countries codify according to their own systems of law.
leges humanae nascuntur, vivunt, moriuntur	The laws of man are born, live, and die	Illustrates that laws are made, are in force for a period, and then become obsolete.
lex communis
lex lata
lex loci
lex posterior derogat priori
lex retro non agit
lex scripta
lex specialis derogat legi generali
liberum veto
lingua franca
lis alibi pendens
lis pendens
locus
locus delicti
locus in quo
locus poenitentiae

M

Term/Phrase	Definition
magna carta
male fide
malum in se
malum prohibitum
mandamus
mare clausum
mare liberum
mens rea –Meins sana incorpore sano
modus operandi
mos pro lege
motion in limine
mutatis mutandis

N

Term/Phrase	Definition
ne exeat
ne bis in idem
nemo auditur propriam turpitudinem allegans
nemo dat quod non habet
nemo debet esse iudex in propria
nemo judex in sua causa
nemo plus iuris ad alium transferre potest quam ipse habet
nemo sibi titulum adscribit
nexus
nihil
nihil dicit
nil
nisi
nisi prius
nolle prosequi
nolo contendere
non adimpleti contractus
non bis in idem
non compos mentis
non constat
non est factum
non faciat malum, ut inde veniat bonum
non liquet
non obstante verdicto
non sequitur
novus actus interveniens
noscitur a sociis –nota bene
nudum pactum
nulla bona
nulla poena sine lege
nullum crimen, nulla poena sine praevia lege poenali
nunc pro tunc
nemo moriturus prasentium mentire

P

Term/Phrase	Definition
pacta sunt servanda
par delictum
parens patriae
pater familias
pendente lite
per
per capita
per contra
per curiam
per diem
per incuriam
per minas
per pro
per quod
per se
periculum in mora
per stirpes
persona non grata
posse comitatus
post mortem
post mortem auctoris
praetor peregrinus
prima facie
primogeniture
prius quam exaudias ne iudices
probatio vincit praesumptionem
pro bono
pro bono publico
pro forma
pro hac vice
pro per
pro rata
pro se
pro tanto
pro tem
pro tempore
propria persona
prout patet per recordum

Q

Term/Phrase	Definition
qua
quaeitur
quaere
quantum
quantum meruit
quasi – "qui facit per alium facit per se" – qui tam action
quid pro quo
quid pro quo
quo ante
quo warranto
quoad hoc
quod est necessarium est licitum

R

Term/Phrase	Definition
ratio decidendi
ratio scripta
rebus sic stantibus
reddendo singula singulis
res
res gestae
res ipsa loquitur
res judicata
res nullius
res publica
res publica christiana
respondeat superior
restitutio in integrum

S

Term/Phrase	Definition
salus populi est suprema lex
scandalum magnatum
scandalum magnum
scienter
scintilla
scire facias
scire feci
se defendendo
seriatim
sine die
sine qua non
situs
stare decisis
sua sponte
sub judice
sub modo
sub nomine
sub silentio
subpoena
subpoena ad testificandum
subpoena duces tecum
suggestio falsi
sui generis
sui iuris
sui juris
suo moto
supersedeas
suppressio veri
supra

T

Term/Phrase	Definition
terra nullius
trial de novo
trinoda necessitas
tabula rasa

U

Term/Phrase	Definition
uberrima fides
ultra posse nemo obligatur
ultra vires
uno flatu
uti possidetis
uxor

V

Term/Phrase	Definition
vel non
veto
vice versa
vide
videlicet
vinculum juris
vis major
viz.
volenti non fit injuria
vigilantibus non dormientibus aequitas subvenit

See also

• Brocard (law)
• Law French