List of Latin phrases (V)

This page lists 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 Greek rhetoric and literature reached its peak centuries before the rise of ancient Rome.

This list covers the letter V. See List of Latin phrases for the main list.
LatinTranslationNotes
vacate et scireBe still and know.Motto of the University of Sussex.
vade ad formicamgo to the antFrom the Vulgate, Proverbs 6:6. The full quotation translates as "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!"[Pro 6:6]
vade mecumgo with meA vade-mecum or vademecum is an item one carries around, especially a handbook.
vade retro Satanago back, SatanAn exhortation to Satan to be gone, often a Roman Catholic response to temptation. From a popular Medieval Roman Catholic exorcism formula, derived from the rebuke of Jesus Christ to St. Peter, as quoted in the Vulgate, Mark 8:33: vade retro me Satana ("get behind Me, Satan").[Mark 8:33] The phrase "vade retro" ("go back") is also in Terence's Formio, I, 4, 203.
valenter volenterstrongly and willinglyMotto of HMS Valorous (L00)
vae victiswoe to the conqueredAttributed by Livy to Brennus, the chief of the Gauls, stated with his demand for more gold from the citizens of the sacked city of Rome in 390 BC.
vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitasvanity of vanities; everything [is] vanityOr more simply: "vanity, vanity, everything vanity". From the Vulgate, Ecclesiastes 1:2;12:8.
vaticinium ex eventuprophecy from the eventA purported prediction stated as if it was made before the event it describes, while in fact being made thereafter.
vel nonor notSummary of alternatives, e. g., "this action turns upon whether the claimant was the deceased's grandson vel non."
velle est posseto be willing is to be ableNon-literally, "where there is a will, there is a way". It is the motto of Hillfield, one of the founding schools of Hillfield Strathallan College.
velocius quam asparagi coquanturfaster than asparagus can be cookedOr simply "faster than cooking asparagus". Ascribed to Augustus by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars, Book 2 (Augustus), para. 87. It refers to anything done very quickly. A very common variant is celerius quam asparagi cocuntur ("faster than asparagus [is] cooked").
velut arbor aevoas a tree with the passage of timeMotto of the University of Toronto, Canada.
veni, vidi, viciI came, I saw, I conqueredThe message supposedly sent by Julius Caesar to the Roman Senate to describe his battle against King Pharnaces II of Pontus near Zela in 47 BC.
venturis ventisto the coming windsMotto of Brasília, the capital of Brazil.
vera causatrue cause
verba docent exempla trahuntwords instruct, illustrations leadThis refers to the relevance of illustrations, for example in preaching.
verba ex orewords from mouthTaking the words out of someone’s mouth, speaking exactly what the other colloquist wanted to say.
verba ita sunt intelligenda ut res magis valeat quam pereatwords are to be understood such that the subject matter may be more effective than wastedI. e., when explaining a subject, it is important to clarify rather than confuse.
verba vana aut risui non loquinot to speak words in vain or to start laughterA Roman Catholic religious precept, being Rule 56 of the Rule of Saint Benedict.
verba volant, scripta manentwords fly away, writings remainQuotation from a famous speech of Caius Titus in the ancient Roman Senate.
verbatimword for wordThe phrase refers to perfect transcription or quotation.
verbatim et literatimword for word and letter by letter
Verbi Divini ministerservant of the Divine WordA phrase denoting a priest. Cf. "Verbum Dei" infra.
verbi gratia
(v. gr. or v. g.)		for exampleLiterally, "for the sake of a word".
Verbum DeiWord of GodSee religious text.
verbum Domini lucerna pedibus nostrisThe word of the Lord [is] a light for our feetMotto of the University of Groningen.
verbum Domini manet in aeternum (VDMA)the word of the Lord endures foreverMotto of the Lutheran Reformation.
verb. sap.
verbum sap.		a word to the wise [is sufficient]A phrase denoting that the listener can fill in the omitted remainder, or enough is said. It is the truncation of "verbum sapienti sat[is] est".
verbum volitansflying wordA word that floats in the air, on which everyone is thinking and is just about to be imposed.
veritastruthA motto of the Roman Catholic Order of Preachers, and the motto of many educational institutions, including Harvard University (albeit truncated), Cabra Dominican College, and Bishop Lynch High School.
veritas aequitastruth [and] justice
veritas, bonitas, pulchritudo, sanctitastruth, goodness, beauty, [and] sanctityMotto of Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan.
veritas Christo et ecclesiaetruth for Christ and churchThe de iure motto of Harvard University, United States, which dates to its foundation; it is often shortened to veritas to remove its original religious meaning.
veritas cum libertatetruth with libertyMotto of Winthrop University.
veritas curattruth curesMotto of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research.
veritas Dei vincitthe truth of God conquersMotto of the Hussites.
veritas Domini manet in aeternumthe truth of the Lord remains for eternity
veritas et fortitudotruth and fortitudeOne of the mottos of the Lyceum of the Philippines University.
veritas et virtustruth and virtueMotto of the University of Pittsburgh, Methodist University, and Mississippi College.
veritas, fides, sapientiatruth, faith, [and] wisdomMotto of Dowling Catholic High School.
veritas in caritatetruth in charityMotto of Bishop Wordsworth's School and St Munchin's College.
veritas, iustitia, libertastruth, justice, [and] libertyMotto of the Free University of Berlin.
veritas liberabit vostruth shall liberate youMotto of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan.
veritas lux meatruth [is] my lightA common, non-literal translation is "truth enlightens me". The motto of Seoul National University, South Korea.
veritas numquam perittruth never expiresAuthored by Seneca the Younger.
veritas odit morastruth hates delayAuthored by Seneca the Younger.
veritas omnia vincittruth conquers allA quotation from a letter of Jan Hus. The motto of Carncot Independent School for Girls and Boys; Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada; Satyameva Jayate; and the Triangle Fraternity.
veritas, unitas, caritastruth, unity, [and] loveMotto of Villanova University, United States.
veritas vincittruth conquersCf. "veritas omnia vincit" supra. It is the motto on the standard of the Presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, and of the Scottish Clan Keith.
Veritas. Virtus. Libertas.Truth. Virtue. Liberty.Motto of the University of Szeged, Hungary.
veritas vitæ magistratruth is the teacher of lifeAnother plausible translation is "truth is the mistress of life". It is the unofficial motto of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras and is inscribed in its tower.
veritas vos liberabittruth will liberate you [all]Motto of Johns Hopkins University, United States.
veritate duce progrediadvancing with truth leadingMotto of the University of Arkansas, Arkansas, United States.
[in] veritate et caritatein truth and charityMotto of Catholic Junior College, Singapore; St. Xavier's School, and Hazaribagh, India.
veritate et virtutewith truth and virtueThe motto of Sydney Boys High School. It is alternatively rendered "virtute et veritate" ("with virtue and truth"), which is the motto of Walford Anglican School for Girls and Pocklington School.
veritatem dilexiI esteemed truthAlternatively, "I loved truth". It is the motto of Bryn Mawr College.
veritatem fratribus testarito bear witness to truth in fraternityMotto of Xaverian Brothers High School.
veritatem cognoscereto know truthMotto of the Clandestine Service of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.
vero nihil veriusnothing [is] truer than truthMotto of Mentone Girls' Grammar School.
vero possumusyes, we canA variation of the campaign slogan of then-Senator Barack Obama, which was superimposed on a variation of the Great Seal of the United States during the US presidential campaign of 2008.[1]
versus (vs) or (v.)towardsLiterally, "in the direction [of]". It is erroneously used in English for "against", probably as the truncation of "adversus", especially in reference to two opponents, e. g., the parties to litigation or a sports match.
vestigia nulla retrorsumNever a backward stepMotto of Wanganui Collegiate School.
vetoI forbidThe word denotes the right to unilaterally forbid or void a specific proposal, especially legislation. It is derived from ancient Roman voting procedures.
vexata quaestiovexed questionLatin legal phrase denoting a question that is often debated or considered, but is not generally settled, such that contrary answers may be held by different persons.
vexilla regis prodeunt inferniforth go the banners of the king of HellAuthored by Dante Alighieri in Canto XXXIV of the Inferno, the phrase is an allusion to and play upon the Latin Easter hymn Vexilla Regis. The phrase is repeatedly referenced in the works of Walter M. Miller, Jr..
vi coactusunder constraintA legal phrase regarding contracts that indicates agreement made under duress.
vi et animowith heart and soulAlternatively, "strength and courage". It is the motto of the Ascham School and on the coat of arms of the McCulloch Clan.
vi veri universum vivus viciby the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universeMagickal motto of Aleister Crowley.
viaby the road/wayThe word denotes "by way of" or "by means of", e. g., "I will contact you via email".
via mediamiddle road/wayThis phrase describes a compromise between two extremes or the radical center political position.
via, veritas, vitathe Way, the Truth, [and] the LifeThe words of Jesus Christ in John 14:6. It is the motto of many institutions, including Glasgow University, Scotland, United Kingdom.
viam sapientiae monstrabo tibiI will show you the way of wisdomThe motto of DePaul University.
vicein place ofThe word refers to one who acts in the place of another. It is used as a separate word or as a hyphenated prefix, e. g., "Vice President" and "Vice-Chancellor".
vice versa
versa vice		with position turnedThus, "the other way around", "conversely", et cetera. Historically and in British English, "vice" is pronounced as two syllables, but in American English the singular syllable pronunciation is almost universal. Classical Latin pronunciation dictates that the letter "c" is only a hard sound, like "k", thus vee-keh vehr-sah. Moreover, it also dictates that the letter "v", when consonantal, represents /w/; i. e. in classical times, the "v" was pronounced like the modern "w"; hence wee-keh wehr-sah.[2]
victoria aut morsvictory or deathSimilar to "aut vincere aut mori".
victoria concordia crescitvictory comes from harmonyThe official motto of Arsenal F.C.
victrix causa diis placuit sed victa Catonithe victorious cause pleased the gods, but the conquered cause pleased CatoAuthored by Lucan in Pharsalia, 1, 128. The dedicatory inscription on the south face of the Confederate Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States.
vide"see" or "refer to"The word is used in scholarly citations.
vide infra (v. i.)see belowThe word is used in scholarly works.
vide supra (v. s.)see aboveThe word is used in scholarly works to refer to previous text in the same document. It is sometimes truncated to "supra".
videlicet (viz.)"namely", "that is to say", or "as follows"A contraction of "videre licet" ("it is permitted to see"), vide infra.
video et taceoI see and keep silentThe motto of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
video meliora proboque deteriora sequorI see and approve of the better, but I follow the worseFrom the Metamorphoses Book 7, 20-1 of Ovid, being a summary of the experience of akrasia.
video sed non credoI see it, but I do not believe itThe statement of Caspar Hofmann after being shown proof of the circulatory system by William Harvey.
videre licet"it is permitted to see" or "one may see"The phrase is used in scholarship.
vim promovet insitampromotes one's innate powerMotto of the University of Bristol, derived from Horace, Ode 4, 4.
vince malum bonoovercome evil with goodA partial quotation of Romans 12:21. A motto of Old Swinford Hospital and Bishop Cotton School in Shimla.
vincere est vivereto conquer is to liveMotto of Captain John Smith.
vincere scis Hannibal victoria uti nescisyou know [how] to win, Hannibal; you do not know [how] to use victoryAccording to Livy, a colonel in the cavalry stated this to Hannibal after victory in the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC, meaning that Hannibal should have marched on Rome immediately.
vincit omnia veritastruth conquers allUniversity of Mindanao
vincit qui patiturhe conquers who enduresFirst attributed to the Roman scholar and satirst Persius. It is frequently used as a motto.
vincit qui se vincithe (she) conquers who conquers himself (herself)Motto of many educational institutions, including the Philadelphia High School for Girls and North Sydney Boys High School. It is alternatively rendered as "bis vincit qui se vincit" ("he (she) who prevails over himself (herself) is twice victorious"). It is also the motto of the Beast in Disney's film Beauty and the Beast, as seen inscribed in the castle's stained glass window near the beginning of the film.
vinculum juristhe chain of the lawThe phrase denotes that a thing is legally binding. "A civil obligation is one which has a binding operation in law, vinculum juris." (Bouvier's Law Dictionary (1856), "Obligation")
vinum et musica laetificant corwine and music gladden the heartAsterix and Caesar's Gift; it is a variation of "vinum bonum laetificat cor hominis".
vinum regum, rex vinorumthe wine of kings, the king of winesThe phrase describes Hungarian Tokaji wine, and is attributed to King Louis XIV of France.
viperam sub ala nutricarea viper nursed at the bosomA caveat regarding trusting someone against his inherent nature; the moral of Aesop's fable The Farmer and the Viper.
vir prudens non contra ventum mingit[a] wise man does not urinate [up] against the wind
vir quisque virevery man a manMotto of the US collegiate fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha.
Vires acquirit eundoshe gathers strength as she goesA quotation from Vergil's Aeneid, Book 4, 175, which in the original context refers to Pheme. The motto on the Coat of arms of Melbourne.
Viribus Unitiswith united forcesMotto of the house of Habsburg-Lorraine.
virile agiturthe manly thing is being doneThe motto of Knox Grammar School.
viriliter age"act manfully" or "act courageously"The motto of Marist College Ashgrove and other institutions.
viriliter agiteact in a manly wayThe motto of St Muredach's College and the PAREF Southridge School for Boys.
viriliter agite estote fortesact manfully, be strongThe motto of Culford School.
virtus et laborvirtue and [hard] workMotto of Don Bosco Liluah, India and St. Georges College, Mussoorie, India.
virtus et scientiavirtue and knowledgeA common motto, preeminently that of La Salle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
virtus in media statvirtue stands in the middleA principle derived from the ethical theory of Aristotle. Idiomatically, "good practice lies in the middle path" between two extremes. It is disputed whether "media" or "medio" is correct.
virtus junxit mors non separabitthat which virtue unites, let not death separateMotto of the Masonic (Scottish Rite).
virtus laudata crescitgreatness increases with praiseMotto of the Berkhamsted School.
Virtus non stemma valor, not garlandMotto of the Duke of Westminster, inscribed at his residence in Eaton, and the motto of Grosvenor Rowing Club and Harrow County School for Boys.
virtus sola nobilitasvirtue alone [is] nobleMotto of Christian Brothers College, St Kilda.
virtus tentamine gaudetstrength rejoices in the challengeMotto of Hillsdale College, Michigan, United States.
virtus unita fortiorvirtue united [is] strongerState motto of Andorra.
Virtute duceled by virtueMotto of the Acciari family.
Virtute duce comite fortunaled by virtue, accompanied by [good] fortuneMotto of the Institut d'études politiques de Lyon and the Accorretti family.
virtute et armisby virtue and armsAlternatively, "by manliness and weapons". The State motto of Mississippi, United States. The phrase was possibly derived from the motto of Lord Gray de Wilton, "virtute non armis fido" ("I trust in virtue, not in arms"). Alternatively it is rendered as "virtute et labore" ("by manliness and work"), which is the motto of Pretoria Boys High School.
virtute et industriaby virtue and industryMotto of Bristol, United Kingdom.
virtute et veritateby virtue and truthMotto of Pocklington School.
vis legisthe power of the law
vis majorforce majeure, superior force
visio deivision of a god
vita ante actaa life done beforeThe phrase denotes a previous life, generally believed to be the result of reincarnation.
vita, dulcedo, spesMary, our] life, sweetness, [and] hopeThe motto of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, which is derived from the Roman Catholic hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary titled Salve Regina.
vita incerta, mors certissimalife is uncertain, death is most certainMore simply, "the most certain thing in life is death".
vita mutatur, non tolliturlife is changed, not taken awayThe phrase is a quotation from the preface of the first Roman Catholic rite of the Mass for the Dead.
vita patrisduring the life of the fatherHence the term "decessit vita patris" (d. v. p) or "died v. p.", which is seen in genealogical works such as Burke's Peerage.
vita summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longamthe shortness of life prevents us from entertaining far-off hopesThis is a wistful refrain that is sometimes used ironically. It is derived from the first line of Horace's Ode 1. It was later used as the title of a short poem of Ernest Dowson.
vitai lampada traduntthey hand on the torch of lifeA quotation from the poem of Lucretius, De rerum natura, Book 2, 77-9. The ordinary spelling "vitae" in two syllables had to be changed to "vitaï" in three syllables to satisfy the requirements of the poem's dactylic hexameters. It is the motto of the Sydney Church of England Grammar School and others.
vitam amplificare hominibus hominesque societatimankind [who] extends the life of the communityMotto of East Los Angeles College, California, United States.
viva voceliving voiceThe phrase denotes an oral, as opposed to written, examination of a candidate.
vivat crescat floreatmay it live, grow, [and] flourish
vivat rexmay the king liveThe acclamation is ordinary translated as "long live the king!". In the case of a female queen, "vivat regina" ("long live the queen").
vivat rex, curat lexlong live the king, guardian of the lawA curious translation of the pun on "vivat rex", found in Westerham parish church in Kent, England.
vive memor letilive remembering deathAuthored by Persius. Cf. "memento mori".
vive ut vivaslive so that you may liveThe phrase suggests that one should live life to the fullest and without fear of the possible consequences.
vivere est cogitareto live is to thinkAuthored by Cicero. Cf. "cogito ergo sum".
vivere militare estto live is to fightAuthored by Seneca the Younger in Epistle 96, 5. Cf. the allegory of Miles Christianus based on "militia est vita hominis" from the Vulgate, Book of Job 7:1.
vocatus atque non vocatus Deus aderitcalled and not called, God will be presentAlternatively, "called and even not called, God approaches". Attributed to the Oracle at Delphi. The motto of Carl Jung, and inscribed in his home and grave.
volenti non fit injuriato one willing, no harm is doneAlternatively, "to him who consents, no harm is done". The principle is used in the law of torts and denotes that one can not be held liable for injuries inflicted on another who consented to the act that injured him.
volo non fugiaI fly but do not fleeThe motto of HMS Venetia[3]
vos estis sal terraeyou are the salt of the earthA famous biblical sentence proclaimed by Jesus Christ.
votum separatumseparate vowThe phrase denotes an independent, minority voice.
vox clamantis in desertothe voice of one clamoring in the desertOr traditionally, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness". A quotation of the Vulgate, Isaiah 40:3, and quoted by St. John the Baptist in Mark 1:3 and John 1:23). It is the motto of Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States.
vox nihilivoice of nothingThe phrase denotes a useless or ambiguous statement.
vox populivoice of the peopleThe phrase denotes a brief interview of a common person that is not previously arranged, e. g., an interview on a street. It is sometimes truncated to "vox pop."
vox populi, vox Deithe voice of the people [is] the voice of God
vulpes pilum mutat, non moresthe fox changes his fur, not his habits

References

  1. ↑ Image at York University, Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics. Archived February 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ Covington, Michael A. (December 31, 2005). "Latin Pronunciation Demystified" (PDF). Program in Linguistics. University of Georgia.
  3. ↑ Naval History: HMS VENETIA (D 53) - V & W-class Destroyer

Additional references

  • Adeleye, Gabriel G. (1999). Thomas J. Sienkewicz; James T. McDonough, Jr., eds. World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0865164223.
  • Stone, Jon R. (1996). Latin for the Illiterati. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415917751.
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