In this section:
On this page:
This page provides two tables showing common Latin abbreviations and expressions used by technical communicators. Additional resources for Latin and other abbreviations and definitions, see Definitions: Reference Resources on this website.
Common Latin Abbreviations Used In Writing
Latin abbreviations are appropriate in footnotes, bibliographies, and informal writing (e.g., information in parentheses).
In business, formal, and technical writing, use the English equivalent of the abbreviation to avoid misinterpretation by your readers:
Many communication tools can be used to promote the launch of a new store (for example, flyers, press releases, radio announcements, and so on).
Note: It is best to create content using "plain language" principles. Plain language (also called plain English) is a writing style that is simple and direct, but not simplistic or patronizing. When writing in plain language, use short sentences with simple words. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and abbreviations. Plain language should be visually inviting, logically organized, and understandable on the first reading. See Avoid Jargon in Scientific and Technical Writing to replace jargon with plain language.
| Abbreviation | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| A.M. | ante meridiem | before noon |
| c. or ca | circa | about; approximately |
| cf. | confer | compare |
| c.v. | curriculum vitae | curriculum vitae |
| ead. | eadem | in the same place; author (female form of ibid.) |
| e.g. | exempli gratia | for example; for instance |
| etc. | et cetera | and so on; and other people/things |
| et al. | et alii (masculine plural) or et aliae (feminine plural) or et alia (neutral plural) | and other people |
| et seq. | et sequens | and the following pages |
| fl. | floruit | he/she flourished; used to indicate the high point of a person's life or career when his/her dates of birth are unknown |
| ib, ibid. | ibidem | in the same place; relates to the immediately prior source. author (male) |
| i.e. | id est | that is |
| loc. cit. | loco citato | in the place already mentioned; relates to sources before the immediately prior citation |
| N.B. | nota bene | note well/carefully |
| op. cit. | opere citato | in the work already mentioned; relates to sources before the immediately prior citation [loc. cit. and op. cit. are synonymous, with op. cit. probably more frequent] |
| p. | paper | page |
| P.M. | post meridiem | after noon |
| pp. | pluta paper | pages |
| p.p. | per pro; per procurationem | on behalf of; used when someone signs a letter by authority or proxy because another person is not available |
| pro tem. | pro tempore | for the time; temporarily |
| P.S. | post scriptum | after writing |
| Q.E.D. | quod erat demonstrandum | which was to be shown |
| q.v. | quod vide | which see; used to cross-refer to material that can be found elsewhere within the same book or piece of writing. q.v. is not synomymous with cf.; the latter cross-refers to external material |
| sc. or scil. | scilicet; scire licet | that is to say, namely |
| sic | sic | thus, or literally |
| s.v. | sub voce | under the word; used in connection with alphabetically arranged reference works |
| v. | versus | against |
| v. | vide, imperative of video | see; look up |
| v. | voce | voice; word |
| v.g. | verbi gratia | for example |
| v. inf. | vide infra | see below |
| viz | videlicet | that is to say, namely [a keynote abbreviation for academic pedants or post-modernists. There is no full stop (signifying an abbreviation), because the "z" is not a letter but a sign of contraction]. |
| vs. | versus | against |
| v.v. | vice versa | the other way round |
Commonly Used Latin Expressions
| Latin Expression | English |
|---|---|
| a fortiori | with even stronger reason |
| a posteriori | from effects to causes; reasoning based on past experience |
| a priori | from causes to effects; conclusions drawn from assumptions; from what comes before; deductive reasoning |
| ab initio | from the beginning |
| ad hoc | improvised |
| ad infinitum | never ending |
| ad lib | at will; off the top of the head |
| bis | second (as in V34.bis) |
| bona fide | in good faith |
| caveat | a caution/warning (e.g. caveat emptor – "let the buyer beware") |
| curricula vitae | the courses of one's life; résumés |
| curriculum vitae | the course of one's life; résumé |
| de facto | from the fact (rather than by right) |
| de jure | from the law |
| ex officio | out of one's duty or office |
| ex post facto | after the fact, retrospectively |
| infra | below |
| in situ | in its original place |
| in toto | in its entirety |
| inter alia | among other things |
| locus classicus | standard or most authoritative source |
| ipso facto | by the fact itself |
| non sequitur | it does not follow |
| passim | here and there; throughout; in several places |
| per capita | per head |
| prima facie | at first sight; on the face of it |
| pro bono | for the public good, at no cost |
| pro rata | in proportion |
| quid pro quo | something in return |
| scilicet; scire licet | that is to say, namely |
| sic | thus used; thus spelt |
| sine die | without a day, with no time fixed |
| sine qua non | without which not, essential precondition |
| status quo | things as they are |
| stet | as it was originally |
| supra | above |
| vide | see |
| vide supre | see above |
| viva (voce) | oral examination |
Related Links
