1. LATIN NOTES
ETYMOLOGY

2. AD HOC
FOR THIS PURPOSE
A temporary assignment; For a specific task

3. AD HOMINEM
AGAINST THE MAN
Attack the man, not the issue

4. AD INFINITUM
WITHOUT LIMIT
Forever; endlessly

5. AD LIBITUM (AD LIB)
AT PLEASURE
Extemporaneous speech

6. AD NAUSEAM
TO SEASICKNESS
To the point of causing nausea

7. ANNUIT COEPTIS
HE HAS FAVORED OUR UNDERTAKING
Motto on the US dollar bill

8. ALMA MATER
NOURISHING MOTHER
Romans used this to refer to the country of their birth;
Reference to one’s college or university

9. ALTER EGO
ANOTHER SELF
An inseparable friend; Another aspect of one’s personality

10. ALUMNUS (ALUMNA, ALUMNAE, ALUMNI)
FOSTER SON; PUPIL
Graduate

11. AMOR VINCIT OMNIA
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
From works by Virgil and Chaucer (prologue in The Canterbury Tales)

12. ANNO DOMINI (A.D.)
IN THE YEAR OF THE LORD
Used to indicate that a time division falls within the period dating from the birth of Christ; sometimes written as CE (common era); BCE (before common era) predates AD/CE

13. A POSTERIORI
FROM WHAT COMES AFTER
Inductive reasoning from particular to general; Generalization based on assumptions

14. A PRIORI
FROM WHAT COMES BEFORE
Deductive reasoning; consequences deduced from principles derived from prior knowledge

15. ARS GRATIA ARTIS
ART FOR ART’S SAKE
Creating something just to create it, there is no specific purpose; MGM studio trademark

16. ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS
ART IS LONG, LIFE IS SHORT
Art will last after the artist is gone; axiom coined by Hippocrates

17. BONA FIDE
IN GOOD FAITH
Honest; sincere offer; Documentation; credentials

18. CARPE DIEM
SEIZE THE DAY
Take action now; “Strike while the iron is hot”

19. CASUS BELLI
CAUSE OF WAR
An act or event that provokes or is used to justify war

20. CAVEAT
LET HIM BEWARE
Warning; Admonition

21. CAVEAT EMPTOR
LET THE BUYER BEWARE
Get it in writing

22. CIRCA (C.)
ABOUT, AROUND
“This book was written circa 1870.”

23. COGITO ERGO SUM
I THINK THEREFORE I AM
Descartes “Discourse on Reasoning”; starting point for Cartesian philosophy known as Idealism (Plato) or Realism (Aristotle)

24. CUM LAUDE
WITH PRAISE
Earned by student with a of GPA

25. MAGNA CUM LAUDE
WITH GREAT PRAISE
Earned by student with a of GPA

26. SUMMA CUM LAUDE
WITH HIGHEST PRAISE
Earned by student with a of GPA 3.8 – 4.0