Latin Terms for Writers

.

H O M E B L O G R E S O U R C E S F R E E C O N T A C T

Timothy Sharkey ・Author

– author of Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics

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LATIN TERMS
FOR WRITERS

a partial list from Writing Made Easy:
Just the Basics

TIMOTHY SHARKEY

A POSTERIORI (L a posteriori from the latter): known only after something has been observed: known from experience. For example, “It was not easily proven a priori but it was easily demonstrated a posteriori.” (A posteriori is the reverse of a priori.)

          A PRIORI (L a priori from the former): known ahead of time: known prior to experience: understood without empirical evidence. For example, “God is an a priori belief for the devout.” “We know morality a priori.” “It was true a priori but now it has been proven as well.” (A priori is the reverse of a posteriori.)

          AD HOC (L ad hoc for this): something improvised for a specific purpose. For example, “They made ad hoc improvements to the script.” “We put together an ad hoc disaster response team.” “We built a promotional display with ad hoc decorations.”

          AD INFINITUM (L ad infinitum continued to the point of infinity): an argument without end or limit and therefore no longer useful. For example, “He argued the same basic idea ad infinitum.” “She bragged about her wardrobe ad infinitum.”

          AD NAUSEUM (L ad nauseum continued to the point of nausea): arguing to a sickening or excessive degree. For example, “It was debated overnight ad nauseum.” “I will not repeat ad nauseum everything that was said.”

          ALUMNUS (L alumnus pupil): a graduate of a college or university. Alumni: many graduates (plural). Alumnus and alumni traditionally referred to male graduates. Alumna and alumnae traditionally referred to female graduates. Alum and alums are considered colloquial but can now be favored as gender-neutral.

          BONA FIDE (L bona fide good faith): genuine, authentic, real, with good intentions, without fraud or deceit. For example, “She was a bona fide civil rights attorney with all the credentials.” “It was a bona fide Hollywood action film as opposed to a cheap imitation.”

          DE FACTO (L de facto in fact): the way that things are, in reality, as opposed to what is officially presented: actual, not official. For example, “What happens in practice (de facto), in contrast to what happens according to the law (de jure), are different.”

          IBID (L ibidem in the same place): in the past, ibid. was used in footnotes and endnotes to designate that the same source has been cited twice in succession. Today, however, The Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook (Ninth Edition) recommends not using ibid" (290). Simply repeat (copy) the full source listed above, if needed.

          IPSO FACTO (L ipso facto by the very fact): true because of something else. For example, “If you’re born in the United States, then ipso facto you’ll get a Social Security number.” “If you grow up in Brooklyn, then you’re a New Yorker ipso facto” (Norman Mailer).

         Please Note: readers can get the full list of Latin Terms for Writers in Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics (the book). The full sources of these definitions are included in the book as well. They have not transferred over to this web page.

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