List of Latin phrases

This page lists English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations, such as "i.e." and "et cetera". Some of these are themselves translations of Greek phrases.

V

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;Vade mecum

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:"Go with me" — a vade-mecum or vademecum is an item one carries around, especially a handbook.

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;Vade retro!

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:"Go back!" — i.e., "step back!", "begone!" Publius Terent, Formio I, 4, 203.

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;Vade retro Satana!

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:"Go back, Satan!" or "Go back, Lucifer!"— implied meaning "go away, do not dare to tempt me!". From a popular Medieval Catholic exorcism formula, apparently based on a rebuke by Jesus to Peter in the Vulgate, Mark 8:33: vade retro me, Satana. ("step back from me, Satan!").

Related Topics:
Exorcism - Jesus - Peter - Vulgate - Mark

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;Vanitas vanitatum, omnia vanitas

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:"Vanity, vanity, all is vanity" (Bible, Ecclesiastes, 1:2)

Related Topics:
Bible - Ecclesiastes

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;Vaticinium ex eventu

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:"Prophecy from the event" - prophecy made to look as written before the events it describes, while in fact being written afterwards.

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;Vae victis

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:"Woe to the conquered"

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;Veni, vidi, vici

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:"I came, I saw, I conquered" — the full text of a message sent by Julius Caesar to the Roman Senate, to describe his battle against King Pharnakles of Pontus near Zela in 47 BC.

Related Topics:
Julius Caesar - Roman Senate - Pontus - Zela - 47 BC

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;Vera causa

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:"The true cause (of)"

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;Verba ita sunt intelligenda, ut res magis valeat quam pereat

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:Legal phrase meaning "Words are to be so understood that the subject-matter may be preserved rather than destroyed".

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;Verbatim et litteratim

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:"Word by word and letter by letter."

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;Verbi divini minister

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:"Servant of the word of God" — i.e., a priest.

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;Veritas

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:"Truth" - the current motto of Harvard University. Also the British political party Veritas.

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;Veritas, Christo et Ecclesiae

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:"Truth for Christ and the Church" - the founding motto of Harvard University

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;Versus (vs or v.)

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:"Against" — as in "Good versus Evil".

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;Veto

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:"I forbid" — a right to unilaterally stop a certain piece of legislation.

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;Via

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:"By way (of)" (lit. road). — "I will contact you via e-mail"

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;Via media

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:"Middle path" — the Church of England was said to be a via media between the errors of Roman Catholicism and the extremes of Protestantism.

Related Topics:
Church of England - Roman Catholicism - Protestantism

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;Vice-versa

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:"With places exchanged" — i.e., "in reverse order", "conversely".

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;Victoria aut mori! (Victoria aut mors)

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:"Victory or Death!"

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;Vide infra (v.i.)

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:"See below."

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;Vide supra (v.s.)

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:"See above."

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;Videre licet (videlicet, viz.)

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:"one may see" — used to introduce examples or a listing of something just named.

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;Vis legis

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:"Force of the law"

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;Visio dei

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:"God's vision."

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;Vita ante acta

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:"Life lived before" — i.e., a previous life

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;Vivat, crescat, floreat!

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:"May he/she/it live, grow, and flourish!"

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;Vivat Regina!

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:"Long live the Queen!"

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;Vivat Rex!

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:"Long live the King!"

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;Votum separatum

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:An independent, minority voice

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;Vox clamantis in deserto

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:"The voice of one shouting in the desert/wilderness". From Isaiah 40, quoted by John the Baptist in the gospels. Sometimes this has connotations of "unheeded" or "in vain", but it is also the motto of Dartmouth College, where it is taken to mean an isolated beacon of education and culture among the wilds of New Hampshire.

Related Topics:
Isaiah - John the Baptist - Gospel - Dartmouth College - New Hampshire

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;Vox Populi

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:"voice of the people"

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