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.

V

Latin	Translation	Notes
vade ad formicam	go to the ant	A Biblical phrase from the Vulgate, Proverbs 6:6. The full quotation translates as "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!"
vade mecum	go with me	A vade-mecum or vademecum is an item one carries around, especially a handbook.
vade retro Satana	Go back, Satan!	An exhortation for Satan to begone, often used in response to temptation. From a popular Medieval Catholic exorcism formula, based on a rebuke by Jesus to Peter in the Vulgate, Mark 8:33: vade retro me Satana ("get behind Me, Satan!"). The older phrase vade retro ("go back!") can be found in Terence's Formio I, 4, 203.
vae victis	Woe to the conquered!	Attributed by Livy to Brennus, the chief of the Gauls, while he demanded more gold from the citizens of the recently sacked Rome in 390 BC.
vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas	vanity of vanities; everything [is] vanity	More simply, "vanity, vanity, everything vanity". From the Vulgate, Ecclesiastes 1:2;12:8.
vaticinium ex eventu	prophecy from the event	A prophecy made to look as though it was written before the events it describes, while in fact being written afterwards.
vel non	or not	Summary of alternatives, e.g. "this action turns upon whether the claimant was the deceased's grandson vel non."
velle est posse	"To be willing is to be able." (non-literal: "Where there's a will, there's a way.")	Motto of Hillfield, one of the founding schools of Hillfield Strathallan College.
velocius quam asparagi coquantur	faster than asparagus can be cooked	Or simply "faster than cooking asparagus". Ascribed to Augustus by Suetonius (The Twelve Caesars, Book 2 (Augustus), para. 87). Can refer to anything done very quickly. A very common variant is celerius quam asparagi cocuntur ("faster than asparagus is cooked").
velut arbor aevo	As a tree with the passage of time	Motto of the University of Toronto
veni, vidi, vici	I came, I saw, I conquered	The message supposedly sent by Julius Caesar to the Roman Senate to describe his battle against King Pharnaces II near Zela in 47 BC.
venturis ventis	To the coming winds	Motto of Brasília, capital of Brazil.
vera causa	true cause
verba docent exempla trahunt	Words instruct, illustrations lead	On the relevance to use illustrations for example when preaching.
verba ita sunt intelligenda ut res magis valeat quam pereat	words are to be understood such that the subject matter may be more effective than wasted	When explaining a given subject, it is important to clarify rather than confuse.
verba vana aut risui non loqui	Not to speak words in vain or to start laughter	Rule number 56 of the Rule of Saint Benedict.
verba volant, scripta manent	words fly away, writings remain	From a famous speech of Caius Titus at the Roman senate.
verbatim	word for word	Refers to perfect transcription or quotation.
verbatim et literatim	word for word and letter by letter
verbi divini minister	servant of the divine Word	A priest (cf. Verbum Dei).
verbi gratia (v.gr. or VG)	for example	literally: "for the sake of a word"
Verbum Dei	Word of God	See religious text.
verbum Domini manet in aeternum (VDMA)	The Word of the Lord Endures Forever	Motto of the Lutheran Reformation
verb. sap., verbum sap.	A word to the wise is sufficient	The hearer can fill in the rest; enough said. Short for Verbum sapienti sat[is] est.
veritas	truth	Motto of many educational institutions, including Harvard University and Bishop Lynch High School.
veritas aequitas	Truth and justice
veritas, bonitas, pulchritudo, sanctitas	Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Holiness	Current motto of Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
veritas Christo et ecclesiae	Truth for Christ and Church	The de jure motto of Harvard University, dating to its foundation; it is often shortened to Veritas to dispose of its original religious meaning.
Veritas cum libertate	Truth with liberty	Motto of Winthrop University
veritas curat	truth cures	Motto of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research
Veritas Dei vincit	God's Truth prevails.	Motto of the Hussites
veritas diaboli manet in aeternum	Devil's truth remain eternally
veritas et fortitudo	Truth and Courage	One of the mottoes of Lyceum of the Philippines University
veritas et virtus	Truth and virtue	Motto of University of Pittsburgh, Methodist University, Mississippi College
veritas, fides, sapientia	Truth, Faith, Wisdom	Current motto of Dowling Catholic High School
veritas in caritate	Truth Through Caring	Motto of Bishop Wordsworth's School and St Munchin's College
Veritas Iustitia Libertas	Truth Justice Liberty	Motto of Free University of Berlin
Veritas Liberabit Vos	Truth Shall Set You Free	Motto of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan
veritas lux mea	Truth is my light.	A common non-literal translation is "Truth enlightens me." Motto of Seoul National University
veritas numquam perit	Truth never expires	Seneca the Younger
veritas odit moras	Truth hates delay	Seneca the Younger
veritas omnia vincit	Truth conquers all	The phrase from a letter of religious reformator and martyr Jan Hus. Motto of Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario; Satyameva Jayate; Triangle Fraternity
veritas unitas caritas	Truth, Unity, Love	Motto of Villanova University
veritas vincit	truth conquers (or truth prevails)	The phrase from a letter of religious reformator and martyr Jan Hus. Motto on the banner of the Presidents of Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic. Also motto of the Scottish clan Keith.
Veritas. Virtus. Libertas.	Truth. Courage. Freedom.	Motto of the University of Szeged in Hungary
veritas vitæ magistra	Truth is Life's Teacher.	Another plaussible translation is 'Truth is Life's Mistress'. Unofficial Motto of University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, appearing in its Tower.
veritas vos liberabit	the truth will set you free	Motto of Johns Hopkins University
veritate duce progredi	Advancing (with) Truth Leading.	Motto of University of Arkansas
[in] veritate et caritate	with truth and love	Motto of Catholic Junior College, Singapore; of St Xavier's School, Hazaribagh, India
veritate et virtute	with truth and courage	Motto of Sydney Boys High School. Also "virtute et veritate", motto of Walford Anglican School for Girls.
veritatem dilexi	I loved (or, I have esteemed) the truth.	Motto of Bryn Mawr College
veritatem fratribus testari	to bear witness to the truth in brotherhood	Motto of Xaverian Brothers High School
veritatem cognoscere	To know the truth	Motto of the Central Intelligence Agency's Clandestine Service
vero nihil verius	nothing truer than truth	Motto of Mentone Girls' Grammar School
vero possumus	Yes, we can	A variation of the campaign slogan used by then-Senator Barack Obama on a Great Seal variation during the 2008 US presidential campaign.
versus (vs) or (v.)	towards	Literally "in the direction". Mistakenly used in English as "against" (probably from "adversus"), particularly to denote two opposing parties, such as in a legal dispute or a sports match.
veto	I forbid	The right to unilaterally stop a certain piece of legislation. Derived from ancient Roman voting practices.
vexilla regis prodeunt inferni	Forth go the banners of the king of hell	Used by Dante in Canto XXXIV of the Inferno, the phrase is an allusion to and play upon the Latin Easter hymn Vexilla Regis, and is itself repeatedly referenced in the works of Walter M. Miller, Jr.
vi coactus	under constraint	used to indicate an agreement signed under duress
vi et animo	With heart and soul	Or "Strength with Courage". Motto of Ascham School and the McCulloch clan crest.
vi veri universum vivus vici	by the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe	Magickal motto of Aleister Crowley.
via	by the road	"by way of" or "by means of"; e.g. "I'll contact you via e-mail."
via media	middle road	Can refer to the radical center political stance.
via, veritas, vita	The Way, the Truth and the Life	From the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John 14:6; motto of many institutions including Glasgow University.
vice	in place of	"one who acts in place of another"; can be used as a separate word, or as a hyphenated prefix: "Vice President" and "Vice-Chancellor".
vice versa versa vice	with position turned	For other uses, see Vice Versa (disambiguation). Thus, "the other way around", "conversely", etc. Historically and in British English, vice is pronounced as two syllables, but in American English the one-syllable pronunciation is extremely common. Classical Latin pronunciation dictates that the letter C can only make 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 a W; hence wee-keh wehr-sah.
victoria aut mors	Victory or death!	similar to aut vincere aut mori.
victoria concordia crescit	Victory comes from harmony	The official club motto of Arsenal F.C.
victrix causa diis placuit sed victa Catoni	the victorious cause pleased the gods, but the conquered cause pleased Cato	Lucan, Pharsalia 1, 128. Dedication on the south side of the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
vide	"see" or "refer to"
vide infra (v.i.)	"see below"
vide supra (v.s.)	"see above"	Or "see earlier in this writing". Also shortened to just supra.
videlicet (viz.)	"namely", "that is to say", "as follows"	Contraction of videre licet: "permitted to see".
video et taceo	I see and keep silent	The motto of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
video meliora proboque deteriora sequor	I see and approve of the better, but I follow the worse	From the Metamorphoses VII. 20–21 of Ovid. A summary of the experience of akrasia.
video sed non credo	I see it, but I don't believe it	Caspar Hofmann after being shown proof of the circulatory system by William Harvey.
videre licet	"it is permitted to see", "one may see"
vim promovet insitam	promotes one's innate power	Motto of University of Bristol taken from Horace Ode 4.4.
vince malum bono	Overcome Evil with Good	Partial quotation of Romans 12:21 also used as a motto for Old Swinford Hospital and Bishop Cotton School, Shimla.
vincere est vivere	to conquer is to live	Captain John Smith's personal motto
vincere scis Hannibal victoria uti nescis	you know [how] to win, Hannibal; you do not know [how] to use victory	According to Livy, a cavalry colonel told Hannibal this after the victory at Cannae in 216 BC, meaning that Hannibal should have marched on Rome directly.
vincit omnia veritas	Truth conquers all	Motto of Augusta State University in Augusta, GA
vincit qui patitur	he conquers who endures	First attributed to Roman scholar and satirst Persius; frequently used as motto.
vincit qui se vincit	he/she conquers who conquers himself/herself	Motto of many educational institutions. Also "bis vincit qui se vincit" ("he/she who prevails over himself/herself is twice victorious"). Also the motto of The Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast as seen on the castle's stained glass window near the beginning of the film. It is the motto of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, and of North Sydney Boys High School.
vinculum juris	"the chain of the law", i.e. 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 cor	Wine and music gladden the heart	Asterix and Caesar's Gift; a variation on "vinum bonum laetificat cor hominis".
vinum regum, rex vinorum	The wine of kings, the king of wines	A description of Tokaji wine, attributed to Louis XIV.
vir prudens non contra ventum mingit	"[A] wise man does not urinate [up] against the wind"
vir visque vir	"Every man a man"	Motto of the U.S. collegiate fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha.
virile agitur	"The manly thing is being done"	As used in the motto of Knox Grammar School
viriliter age	"Act manfully" or "Act Courageously"	As used in the motto of Marist College Ashgrove and others.
viriliter agite	"Act in a manly way"	As used in the motto of St Muredach's College and by PAREF Southridge school for boys.
viriliter agite estote fortes	"Act manfully, be strong"	As used in the motto of Culford School
virtus et labor	virtue and hard work	The motto of Don Bosco Liluah, India. and St. Georges College, Mussoorie, India.
virtus et scientia	virtue and knowledge	Frequently used as a motto, preeminently as that of La Salle University of Philadelphia, PA.
virtus in media stat	Virtue stands in the middle.	Idiomatically: Good practice lies in the middle path. There is disagreement as to whether "media" or "medio" is correct.
virtus junxit mors non separabit	that which virtue unites, let not death separate	Masonic (Scottish Rite) motto
virtus laudata crescit	Greatness increases with praise	Berkhamsted School motto
Virtus non stemma	Valor, not garland	Duke of Westminster's motto at his stately home in Eaton, motto of Grosvenor Rowing Club and Harrow County School for Boys
virtus sola nobilitas	virtue alone [is] noble	Christian Brothers College, St Kilda's school motto
virtus tentamine gaudet	Strength rejoices in the challenge.	The motto of Hillsdale College.
virtus unita fortior	virtue united [is] stronger	State motto of Andorra.
Virtute duce comite fortuna	Under the guidance of valor, accompanied by good fortune	Motto of Institut d'études politiques de Lyon, also motto of the it
virtute et armis	by virtue and arms	Or "by manhood and weapons". State motto of Mississippi. Possibly derived from the motto of Lord Gray De Wilton, virtute non armis fido ("I trust in virtue, not in arms"). Also virtute et labore, as by manhood and by work motto of Pretoria Boys High School
virtute et industria	by virtue and industry	Motto of the city of Bristol.
virtute et veritate	by virtue and truth	Motto of Pocklington School.
vis legis	power of the law
vis major	force majeure, superior force
visio dei	Vision of a god
vita ante acta	a life done before	Thus, a previous life, generally due to reincarnation.
vita, dulcedo, spes	[Mary our] life, sweetness, hope	Motto of University of Notre Dame.
vita incerta, mors certissima	Life is uncertain, death is most certain	In simpler English, "The most certain thing in life is death".
vita mutatur, non tollitur	Life is changed, not taken away.	The phrase is in the preface of the first Catholic rite of the Mass for the Dead.
vita patris	During the life of the father	Hence the term "decessit vita patris" (d.v.p) or "died v.p." seen in genealogy works such as Burke's Peerage.
vita summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longam	the shortness of life prevents us from entertaining far-off hopes	A wistful refrain, sometimes used ironically. From the first line of Horace's Ode I; later used as the title of a short poem by Ernest Dowson.
vitai lampada tradunt	They hand on the torch of life	From Lucretius' poem De rerum natura II.77–79; the normal spelling "vitae" (two syllables) had to be changed to "vitaï" (three syllables) to fit the requirements of the poem's dactylic hexameters. Motto of the Sydney Church of England Grammar School and others.
vitam amplificare hominibus hominesque societati	Mankind [who] extends the life of the community	Motto of East Los Angeles College.
viva voce	living voice	An oral, as opposed to a written, examination of a candidate.
vivat crescat floreat	may it live, grow, and flourish!
vivat rex	May the King live!	Usually translated "Long live the King!" Also Vivat Regina ("Long live the Queen!").
vivat rex, curat lex	Long live the king, guardian of the law	A pun on Vivat Rex, found in Westerham parish church in Kent.
vive memor leti	live remembering death	Persius. Compare with "memento mori"
vive ut vivas	live so that you may live	The phrase suggests that one should live life to the fullest and without fear of possible consequences.
vivere est cogitare	to live is to think	Cicero; compare with "cogito ergo sum"
vivere militare est	to live is to fight	Seneca (Epist. 96,5). Compare with the allegory of Miles Christianus based on militia est vita hominis in the Vulgate, Book of Job 7:1.
vocatus atque non vocatus Deus aderit	called and not called, God will be present	or "called and even not called, God approaches"; attributed to the Oracle at Delphi. Used by Carl Jung as a personal motto adorning his home and grave.
volenti non fit injuria	to one willing, no harm is done	or "to him who consents, no harm is done"; used in tort law to delineate the principle that one cannot be held liable for injuries inflicted on an individual who has given his consent to the action that gave rise to the injury.
vos estis sal terrae	you are the salt of the earth.	A famous biblical sentence said by Jesus.
votum separatum	separate vow	An independent, minority voice.
vox clamantis in deserto	the voice of one shouting in the desert	or traditionally, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness"; from the Vulgate, Isaiah 40:3, and quoted by John the Baptist in the Gospels (Mark 1:3 and John 1:23). It is the motto of Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire.
vox nihili	voice of nothing	Applied to a useless or ambiguous phrase or statement.
vox populi	voice of the people	Short non-prearranged interview with an ordinary person (e.g. on the street); sometimes shortened to "vox pop".
vox populi, vox Dei	the voice of the people is the voice of God