Many Latin expressions are used in books and in everyday English speech, and you will certainly find most those phrases listed and translated on my site. However, the existing body of Latin literature, both Classical and Medieval is extremely vast. There are many undiscovered gems of wit and wisdom, so I encourage you to study Latin :) The source for a quote is sometimes indcated, but one must remember that Latin quotations are often used as if they were anonymous maxims of universal wisdom. Unlike the collections of quotes that you will find on some other websites, these lines have been actually looked at more than once by someone who knows Latin. I am sure, however, that some typos have not been fixed, so do not assume that anything you find here is safe and good enough to be tattooed on your person! Always ask a Latinist before using a Latin quote for any permanent purpose.
This site also hosts a plethora of imporant resources about Latin, as well as some other languages. Most notably, there a list of legal Latin maxims. Elsewhere on this site there are Latin phrases used in medicine, heraldry, jewelry engravings, sundials and Latin love poems. There is even a motto generator that lets you create Latin phrases without knowing Latin!
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V
Pace tua - With your consent
Pace - By leave of
Pacta sunt servanda - Agreements are to be kept. (Cicero)
Pactum serva - Keep the faith
Pallida mors - Pale Death. (Horace)
Palmam qui meruit ferat - Let him who has earned it bear the reward
Panem et circenses - Bread and circuses. Food and games to keep people happy. (Juvenalis)
Par pare refero - I return like for like tit for tat retaliation
Parens patriae - Parent of the country
Pares cum paribus - Like persons with like persons. Birds of a feather flock together
Pari passu - With equal pace
Pars maior lacrimas ridet et intus habet - You smile at your tears but have them in your heart. (Martialis)
Particeps criminis - Partner in crime
Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus - Mountains will be in labour, and an absurd mouse will be born. (all that work and nothing to show for it)
Parva leves capiunt animas - Small things occupy light minds (small things amuse small minds)
Parva scintilla saepe magnam flamam excitat - The small sparkle often initiates a large flame
Passim - All through
Pater familias - Father of the family
Pater historiae - The father of history
Pater noster - Our Father (The first words of the Lord's Prayer in Latin)
Pater patriae - Father of the country
Patria est communis omnium parens - Our native land is the common parent of us all. (Cicero)
Patris est filius - He is his father's son
Paucis verbis - In a few words
Paupertas omnium artium repertrix - Poverty [is the] inventor of all the arts necessity is the mother of invention
Pax et bonum! - Peace and salvation!
Pax tecum - May peace be with you (Singular)
Pax vobiscum - May peace be with you (Plural)
Pax - Peace
Peccatum tacituritatis - Sin of silence
Peccavi - I have sinned
Pecunia non olet - Money has no smell. Money doesn't stink. (don't look a gift horse in the mouth) (Vespasianus)
Pecuniate obediunt omnia - All things obey money
Pede poena claudo - Punishment comes limping. Retribution comes slowly, but surely. (Horace)
Pendente lite - While a suit is pending
Penetralia mentis - The innermost recesses of the mind. Heart of hearts
Per accidens - By accident
Per angusta in augusta - Through difficulties to great things
Per annum (p.a.) - Yearly
Per ardua ad astra - Through difficulties to the stars
Per aspera ad astra - Through the thorns to the stars
Per capita - Per head
Per cent (per centum) - Per hundred
Per contra - On the contrary
Per diem - Per day; daily allowance
Per fas et nefas - Through right or wrong
Per impossibile - As is impossible a way to qualify a proposition that cannot ever be true
Per mensem - Monthly
Per procurationem (per pro) - By delegation to
Per se - By or in itself
Per varios usus artem experientia fecit - Through different exercises practice has brought skill. (Manilius)
Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim - Be patient and tough; some day this pain will be useful to you. (Ovid)
Periculum in mora - There is danger in delay. (Livy)
Perpetuo vincit qui utitur clementia - He is forever victor who employs clemency. (Syrus)
Perpetuum mobile - Perpetual motion
Persona (non) grata - (un)welcome person
Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantes - Flatterers are the worst type of enemies
Pessimus inimicorum genus, laudantes - The worst kind of enemies, those who can praise. (Tacitus)
Petitio principii - An assumption at the start
Philosophum non facit barba! - The beard does not define a philosopher. (Plutarch)
Pictor ignotus - Painter unknown
Pinxit - He/she painted it
Placebo - I will please. Medical expression for remedies with no medical effect, which improve one's medical condition only because one believes they do
Placet - It pleases
Pleno iure - With full authority
Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate - Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily (Ockham)
Plusque minusque - More or less
Poeta nascitur, non fit - The poet is born, not made
Pone ubi sol non lucet! - Put it where the sun don't shine!
Possunt quia posse videntur - They can because they think they can
Post bellum - After the war
Post coitem - After sexual intercourse
Post factum - After the fact
Post hoc ergo propter hoc - After this, therefore because of this
Post hoc - After this
Post meridiem (p.m.) - After midday
Post mortem - After death. (nowadays, the autopsy performed by a coroner)
Post obitum - After death
Post partum - After childbirth
Post proelia praemia - After the battles come the rewards
Post scriptum (ps) - After what has been written
Post tenebras lux - After the darkness, light
Potest ex casa magnus vir exire - A great man can come from a hut. (Seneca)
Potius mori quam foedari - Rather to die than to be dishonoured (death before dishonour)
Potius sero quam numquam - It's better late than never. (Livy)
Praemonitus, praemunitus - Forewarned, forearmed
Praetio prudentia praestat - Prudence supplies a reward
Prima facie - At first sight; on the face of it. (in law, an obvious case that requires no further proof)
Primum mobile - Prime mover
Primum non nocere - The first thing is to do no harm. (Hippocratic oath)
Primum viveri deinde philosophari - Live before you philosophize, or Leap before you look
Primus inter pares - First among equals
Principiis obsta - Resist the beginnings
Pro bono (pro bono publico) - For the good of the public
Pro di immortales! - Good Heavens!
Pro et contra - For and against
Pro forma - As a matter of formality
Pro hac vice - For this occaision
Pro memoria - For a memorial
Pro nunc - For now
Pro opportunitate - As circumstances allow
Pro patria - For one's country
Pro rata - In proportion to the value. (per hour for example)
Pro re nata (prn) - For an occasion as it arises
Pro se - On one's own behalf
Pro tanto - So far
Pro tempore (pro tem.) - For the time being
Probae esti in segetem sunt deteriorem datae fruges, tamen ipsae suaptae enitent - A good seed, planted even in poor soil, will bear rich fruit by its own nature. (Accius)
Probatum est - It has been proved
Probitas laudatur et alget - Honesty is praised and left in the cold. (Juvenal)
Promotor fidei - Promoter of the faith
Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris - It is human nature to hate a person whom you have injured
Proxime accessit - He/she came close
Proximo (prox.) - Of the next month
Proximus sum egomet mihi - I am closest to myself. (Charity begins at home.) (Terence)
Pueri pueri, pueri puerilia tractant - Children are children, (therefore) children do childish things
Pulvis et umbra sumus - We are dust and shadow. (Horace)
Puri sermonis amator - A lover of pure speech. (Terence)
Puris omnia pura - To the pure all things are pure