Latin Legal Terminology

Front 1

a fortiori

Back 1

with stronger reason

Front 2

a priori

Back 2

from what goes before; from the cause to the effect

Front 3

ab initio

Back 3

from the beginning

Front 4

actiones in personam

Back 4

personal actions

Front 5

ad curiam

Back 5

before the court, to the court

Front 6

ad damnum clause

Back 6

to the damage, clause of complaint which states plaintiff's monetary loss

Front 7

ad faciendum

Back 7

to do

Front 8

ad hoc

Back 8

for this purpose, for this occasion

Front 9

ad litem

Back 9

for the suit; for the litigation (a guardian ad litem, for example)

Front 10

ad rem

Back 10

to the thing at hand

Front 11

ad valorem

Back 11

according to the value (an ad valorem tax, for example)

Front 12

adversus

Back 12

against (defendant adv. plaintiff)

Front 13

aggregatio mentium

Back 13

meeting of minds (relates to formation of contracts)

Front 14

alias dictus

Back 14

otherwise called, also known as (as in an assumed name)

Front 15

alibi

Back 15

in another place, elsewhere

Front 16

aliunde

Back 16

from another place, from without (as in evidence outside the document)

Front 17

alter ego

Back 17

the other self

Front 18

amicus curiae

Back 18

friend of the court (as an amicus curiae brief filed with an appellate court)

Front 19

animo

Back 19

with intention, disposition, design, will

Front 20

animus

Back 20

mind, intention

Front 21

ante litem motam

Back 21

before suit brought, before litigation is filed

Front 22

arguendo

Back 22

in the course of the argument, for the sake of the argument

Front 23

assumpsit

Back 23

he undertook, he promised

Front 24

bona fide

Back 24

good faith

Front 25

capias

Back 25

take, arrest

Front 26

capita

Back 26

persons, heads

Front 27

causa mortis

Back 27

by reason of death

Front 28

caveat

Back 28

beware, a warning

Front 29

caveat emptor

Back 29

let the buyer beware

Front 30

certiorari

Back 30

send the pleadings up (from an inferior court to a superior court; U.S. Supreme Court uses writ of certiorari to review most cases)

Front 31

cestui

Back 31

beneficiaries (pronounced "setty")

Front 32

cestui que trust

Back 32

beneficiaries of the trust

Front 33

circa

Back 33

in the area of, about, concerning

Front 34

compos mentis

Back 34

of sound mind

Front 35

consortium

Back 35

union of lots or chances; conjugal fellowship of husband and wife

Front 36

contra

Back 36

against

Front 37

coram nobis

Back 37

before us ourselves

Front 38

corpus

Back 38

body

Front 39

corpus delicti

Back 39

body of the offense; essence of the crime

Front 40

cum testamento annexo

Back 40

with the will annexed

Front 41

datum (pl., data)

Back 41

1. a thing given; information; 2. a date

Front 42

de facto

Back 42

in fact, in deed, actually

Front 43

de jure

Back 43

of right, lawful

Front 44

de novo

Back 44

anew, afresh

Front 45

de son tort

Back 45

of his own wrong

Front 46

dies non

Back 46

not a day

Front 47

duces tecum

Back 47

bring with you (as in subpoena duces tecum, whereby subpoenaed person must appear and bring records)

Front 48

dum bene se gesserit

Back 48

while he shall conduct himself, during good behavior

Front 49

e converso

Back 49

conversely, on the other hand

Front 50

en banc

Back 50

in the bench, all judges present (a three-judge panel sits individually or en banc)

Front 51

eo instanti

Back 51

upon the instant

Front 52

erratum (pl., errata)

Back 52

error

Front 53

et alii

Back 53

and others (as in Smith et al. v. Jones)

Front 54

et sequentia

Back 54

and as follows (et seq.)

Front 55

et ux

Back 55

and wife

Front 56

et vir

Back 56

and husband

Front 57

ex delicto

Back 57

(arising) from a tort

Front 58

ex gratia

Back 58

as a matter of favor

Front 59

ex officio

Back 59

from office, by virtue of his office

Front 60

ex parte

Back 60

one side only, by or for one party only

Front 61

ex post facto

Back 61

after the fact

Front 62

facto

Back 62

in fact, in or by the law

Front 63

felonice

Back 63

feloniously

Front 64

fiat

Back 64

let it be done, a short order that a thing be done

Front 65

fieri

Back 65

to be made up, to become

Front 66

fieri facias

Back 66

cause to be made (a writ [order] directing the sheriff to reduce a judgment debtor's property to money [sell it] for the amount of the judgment, for example)

Front 67

flagrante delicto

Back 67

in the very act of committing the crime

Front 68

forum non conveniens

Back 68

discretionary power of a court to decline jurisdiction over a case when the court believes it should be tried elsewhere for convenience of parties and witnesses

Front 69

gravis

Back 69

serious, of importance

Front 70

habeus corpus

Back 70

you have the body (a writ directed to the custodian of a person, commanding the custodian to produce such person)

Front 71

habendum clause

Back 71

that part of a deed which begins "to have and to hold"; defines extent of ownership

Front 72

honorarium

Back 72

honorary fee or gift; compensation from gratitude

Front 73

idem

Back 73

the same as above (id.)

Front 74

idem sonans

Back 74

having the same sound (as names sounding alike but spelled differently)

Front 75

in curia

Back 75

in court

Front 76

in esse

Back 76

in being, existence

Front 77

in forma pauperis

Back 77

permission given to a poor person to sue without liability for court costs

Front 78

infra

Back 78

beneath, below

Front 79

in limine

Back 79

at the beginning; threshold

Front 80

in loco parentis

Back 80

in place of a parent, one charged with parent's rights obligations

Front 81

in pari delicto

Back 81

in equal fault

Front 82

in personam

Back 82

personally, against the person

Front 83

in praesenti

Back 83

at once; now

Front 84

in re

Back 84

in the matter

Front 85

in rem

Back 85

proceedings against a thing (a bank account or real estate) distinguished from those against a person

Front 86

in specie

Back 86

in the same or in similar form

Front 87

instanter

Back 87

immediately

Front 88

inter alia, inter alios

Back 88

among other things, between other persons

Front 89

inter se

Back 89

among themselves

Front 90

inter vivos

Back 90

between the living, from one person to another

Front 91

in toto

Back 91

in the whole, completely

Front 92

in transitu

Back 92

in transit

Front 93

intra

Back 93

within, inside

Front 94

ipse dixit

Back 94

he himself said (it), as an assertion made but not proved

Front 95

ipso facto

Back 95

by the fact itself

Front 96

ita est

Back 96

so it is

Front 97

jura personarum

Back 97

right of a person, rights of persons

Front 98

jura rerum

Back 98

rights of things

Front 99

jure divino

Back 99

by divine right

Front 100

jure uxoris

Back 100

in his wife's right

Front 101

jus (pl. jura)

Back 101

law; right; laws collectively

Front 102

jus ad rem

Back 102

a right to a thing

Front 103

jus commune

Back 103

the common law, the common right

Front 104

jus gentium

Back 104

the law of nations, international law

Front 105

just habendi

Back 105

the right to have a thing

Front 106

jus tertii

Back 106

the right of a third party, the rights of another person

Front 107

levari facias

Back 107

cause to be levied, a writ of execution

Front 108

lex

Back 108

law

Front 109

lex loci

Back 109

law of the place where the cause of action arose

Front 110

lis pendens

Back 110

litigation pending, as in a lis pendens filed with real estate records to notify the world that real estate is involved in litigation

Front 111

locus delicti

Back 111

the place of the crime or of the tort

Front 112

locus sigilli (L.S.)

Back 112

the place for the seal

Front 113

mala

Back 113

bad

Front 114

mala fides

Back 114

bad faith

Front 115

mala in se

Back 115

wrong in itself, an act which is morally wrong

Front 116

mala praxis

Back 116

malpractice

Front 117

mala prohibita

Back 117

act declared criminal by statute (failure to file a report, for example), though not wrong in itself (as in murder)

Front 118

mala animo

Back 118

with evil intent

Front 119

mandamus

Back 119

we command, a writ used to compel an official to perform an act which she is required to perform

Front 120

manu forti

Back 120

with a strong hand, forcible entry

Front 121

mens rea

Back 121

guilty mind (most crimes require the element of intent [mens rea])

Front 122

nihil dicit

Back 122

he says nothing (as in a default judgment against a defendant who does not raise a defense in the action)

Front 123

nil

Back 123

nothing; of no account

Front 124

nil debet

Back 124

he owes nothing

Front 125

nisi prius

Back 125

unless before (used to distinguish the court where trial was held from the appellate court)

Front 126

nolle prosequi

Back 126

unwilling to prosecute (a crime); prosecutor's discretion not to file charges in a particular case

Front 127

nolo contendere

Back 127

I will not contest it

Front 128

non

Back 128

not

Front 129

non assumpsit

Back 129

plea in defense; that he did not promise

Front 130

non compos mentis

Back 130

not of sound mind

Front 131

non est factum

Back 131

it is not his deed

Front 132

non obstante

Back 132

notwithstanding

Front 133

non sequitur

Back 133

it does not follow

Front 134

nota bene (N.B.)

Back 134

note well; take notice

Front 135

nudum pactum

Back 135

nude pact, a bare agreement which lacks the consideration to form a valid contract

Front 136

nul tort

Back 136

no wrong done

Front 137

nulla bona

Back 137

no goods (wording used on the return of a writ fieri facias)

Front 138

nunc pro tunc

Back 138

now for then (as in an order nunc pro tunc to correct a clerical error in a pervious order)

Front 139

obiter dictum

Back 139

remark which is not central to the main issue

Front 140

onus probandi

Back 140

the burden of proof

Front 141

opus (pl., opera)

Back 141

work, labor

Front 142

ore tenus

Back 142

by word of mouth, orally (as in a motion ore tenus)

Front 143

pari delicto

Back 143

in equal guilt

Front 144

pari passu

Back 144

by equal progress, ratably, equitably, without preference

Front 145

pater familias

Back 145

father of the family

Front 146

peculium

Back 146

private property

Front 147

pendens

Back 147

pending

Front 148

pendente lite

Back 148

pending the suit, during litigation

Front 149

per annum

Back 149

annual, by the year

Front 150

per capita

Back 150

by the head, equally shared

Front 151

per contra

Back 151

in opposition

Front 152

per curiam

Back 152

by the court

Front 153

per diem

Back 153

by the day

Front 154

per se

Back 154

by itself, taken alone

Front 155

per stirpes

Back 155

by representation, by the roots or stocks for purposes of inheritance

Front 156

post

Back 156

after, later

Front 157

post-factum

Back 157

after the fact, after the event

Front 158

post-obit

Back 158

to take effect after death

Front 159

praecipe

Back 159

writ commanding a person to do some act or to appear and show cause why she should not do so; order to clerk of court to issue summons or execution on judgment already rendered

Front 160

prima facie

Back 160

at first sight, on the face of it

Front 161

pro bono

Back 161

free of charge, without cost

Front 162

pro forma

Back 162

as a matter of form

Front 163

pro hac vice

Back 163

for this occasion

Front 164

pro rata

Back 164

according to the rate or proportion

Front 165

pro se

Back 165

appearing for oneself; personally

Front 166

pro tanto

Back 166

for so much, to that extent

Front 167

pro tempore

Back 167

for the time being, temporarily

Front 168

prochein ami

Back 168

next friend

Front 169

publici juris

Back 169

of public right

Front 170

pur autre vie

Back 170

for or during the life of another

Front 171

quaere

Back 171

question, doubt

Front 172

quantum

Back 172

how much, the amount

Front 173

quare

Back 173

wherefore

Front 174

quare clausum fregit

Back 174

breaking the close, trespass

Front 175

quasi

Back 175

as if, as if it were

Front 176

quid pro quo

Back 176

what for what, something for something (as in consideration for a contract)

Front 177

quo warranto

Back 177

by what right or authority

Front 178

res

Back 178

thing, object, subject matter

Front 179

res gestae

Back 179

things done, excited utterance

Front 180

res ipsa loquitur

Back 180

the thing speaks for itself

Front 181

res judicata

Back 181

a thing (matter) adjudged

Front 182

respondeat superior

Back 182

let the master answer

Front 183

scienter

Back 183

knowledge, awareness

Front 184

scilicet

Back 184

to wit, that is to say, namely (SS or ss)

Front 185

scintilla

Back 185

a spark, the least particle

Front 186

scire facias

Back 186

cause to know, give notice (writ used to revive a judgment that has expired [dormant])

Front 187

secundum

Back 187

according to

Front 188

se defendendo

Back 188

in self-defense

Front 189

semper

Back 189

always

Front 190

seriatim

Back 190

severally, separately

Front 191

sic

Back 191

thus, so, in such manner (used to indicate an error in original, quoted material)

Front 192

sigillum

Back 192

a seal

Front 193

sine

Back 193

without

Front 194

sine die

Back 194

without a day, without a specific day assigned for a future meeting

Front 195

sine qua non

Back 195

that without which a thing cannot occur; indispensable condition or part

Front 196

stare decisis

Back 196

to abide by decided cases

Front 197

status quo

Back 197

state in which, present state

Front 198

sua sponte

Back 198

voluntarily, of his own will and motion

Front 199

sub nomine

Back 199

under the name of, in the name of, under the title of

Front 200

sub silentio

Back 200

under silence, without any notice being taken

Front 201

sui generis

Back 201

of its own kind or class, the only one of a kind, unique

Front 202

sui juris

Back 202

of his own right, having legal capacity to act for himself

Front 203

supersedeas

Back 203

superseding (as in the bond that accompanies a writ commanding a stay of proceedings pending appeal)

Front 204

supra

Back 204

above, cited in full above

Front 205

tenere

Back 205

to hold, to keep

Front 206

terminus a quo

Back 206

the starting point

Front 207

ultra

Back 207

beyond, in excess of, outside of

Front 208

ultra vires

Back 208

without power, beyond the powers of

Front 209

venire facias

Back 209

that you cause to come, a type of summons

Front 210

versus

Back 210

against (plaintiff v. defendant)

Front 211

videlicet (viz.)

Back 211

it is easy to see, that is to say, namely

Front 212

vi et armis

Back 212

by force and arms

Front 213

vis-a-vis

Back 213

one who (that which) is face to face with another

Front 214

vivos

Back 214

living

Front 215

voir dire

Back 215

to speak the truth, the process used to select jurors