List of Latin phrases (D)

This page lists direct English translations of Latin phrases, such as veni vidi vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are translations of older Greek phrases, because Greek rhetoric and literature reached its peak centuries before that of ancient Rome.

This list covers the letter D. For the main list, see: List of Latin phrases.

D

Latin	Translation	Notes
Da mihi factum, dabo tibi ius	Give me the fact(s), I'll give you the law	also: Da mihi facta, dabo tibi ius; legal idea based on Roman law; parties should present the facts of a case while the judge rules on the law. Related to iura novit curia (the court knows the law).
damnant quodnon intelligunt	They condemn what they do not understand.
damnatio memoriae	damnation of memory	A Roman custom in which disgraced Romans (such as former Emperors) were pretended to have never existed.
damnum absque injuria	damage without injury	A loss that results from no one's wrongdoing. In Roman law, a man is not responsible for unintended, consequential injury to another resulting from a lawful act. This protection does not necessarily apply to unintended damage by negligence or folly.
dat deus incrementum	God grants the increase	Motto of Westminster School, a leading British independent school.
data venia	"with due respect" or "given the excuse"	Used before disagreeing with someone.
de bonis asportatis	carrying goods away	Trespass de bonis asportatis was the traditional name for larceny (wrongful taking of chattels).
de dato	of the date	Used as short form "d.d." such as in, "We agreed in the meeting d.d. 26 May 2006".
de facto	by deed	Said of something that is the actual state of affairs, in contrast to something's legal or official standing, which is described as de jure. De facto means the "way things really are" rather than what is "officially" presented as right.
de fideli	with faithfulness	A clerk makes the declaration De fideli when appointed, promising to do tasks faithfully as a servant of the court.
de futuro	regarding the future	Usually used in the context of "at a future time".
de gustibus non est disputandum	there is no disputing about tastes	Less literally "there's no accounting for taste". Likely of Scholastic origin (see Wiktionary).
de jure	by law	"Official", in contrast with de facto. Analogous to "in principle", whereas de facto means "in practice". In other contexts, can mean "according to law", "by right" or "legally". Also commonly written de iure, in the classical form.
de minimis non curat lex	The law does not bother with the smallest things.	The court does not want to bother with small, trivial things. A case must have importance for the court to hear it. See below: "de minimis not curat praetor".
de minimis non curat praetor	The commander does not bother with the smallest things.	Also "The chief magistrate does not concern himself with trifles." Trivial matters are no concern of a high official (cf. aquila non capit muscas, the eagle does not catch flies). Sometimes rex (the king) or lex (the law) is used in place of praetor, and de minimis is a legal term referring to things unworthy of the law's attention.
de mortuis nil nisi bonum	about the dead, nothing unless a good thing	From de mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum est, "nothing must be said about the dead except the good", attributed by Diogenes Laërtius to Chilon. In legal contexts, this quotation is used with the opposite meaning, as defaming a deceased person is not a crime. In other contexts, it refers to taboos against criticizing the recently deceased.
de nobis fabula narratur	about us is the story told	Thus, "Their story is our story". Originally referred to the end of Rome's dominance. Now often used when comparing any current situation to a past story or historical event.
de novo	from the new	"Anew" or "afresh". In law, a trial de novo is a retrial. In biology, de novo means newly synthesized, and a de novo mutation is a mutation that neither parent possessed or transmitted. In economics, de novo refers to newly founded companies, and de novo banks are state banks that have been in operation for five years or less.
de omnibus dubitandum	be suspicious of everything; doubt everything	Karl Marx's favorite motto.
de oppresso liber	Free from having been oppressed	Commonly mistranslated as "To liberate the oppressed". The motto of the United States Army Special Forces.
de profundis	from the depths	Out of the depths of misery or dejection. From the Latin translation of Psalm 130.
de re	about the matter	In logic, de dicto statements (about the truth of a proposition) are distinguished from de re statements (about the properties of a thing itself).
decus et tutamen	An ornament and a safeguard	Inscription on British one-pound coins. Originally on 17th-century coins, it refers to the inscribed edge as a protection against the clipping of precious metal. The phrase originally comes from Virgil's Aeneid.
Dei Gratia Regina	By the Grace of God, Queen	Also Dei Gratia Rex (By the Grace of God, King). Abbreviated as D G REG preceding Fidei Defensor (F D) on British pounds, and as D G Regina on Canadian coins.
Dei sub numine viget	Under God's Spirit she flourishes	Motto of Princeton University.
Deo ac veritati	For God and for truth	Motto of Colgate University.
Deo domuique	For God and for home	Motto of Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne.
Deo et patriae	For God and Country	Motto of Regis High School (New York City).
Deo gratias	Thanks [be] to God	The semi-Hispanicized form Deogracias is a Philippine first name.
Deo juvante	With God's help	The motto of Monaco and its monarch, which appears on the royal arms.
Deo Optimo Maximo (DOM)	To the best and greatest God	Derived from the Pagan Iupiter Optimo Maximo (To the best and greatest Jupiter). Printed on bottles of Bénédictine liqueur.
Deo vindice	With God as protector	Motto of the Confederate States of America. An alternate translation is "With an avenging God".
Deo volente	God willing	This was often used in conjunction with a signature at the end of letters. It was used in order to signify that "God willing" this letter will get to you safely, "God willing" the contents of this letter come true. See also: Insha'Allah.
Deus caritas est	God is Love	The first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI.
deus ex machina	a god from a machine	From the Greek ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός (apò mēchanēs theós). A contrived or artificial solution, usually to a literary plot. Refers to the practice in Greek drama of lowering by crane (the mechanê) an actor playing a god or goddess onto the stage to resolve an insuperable conflict in the plot. The device is most commonly associated with Euripides.
Deus meumque jus	God and my right	The principal motto of Scottish Rite Freemasonry; see also Dieu et mon droit.
Deus spes nostra	God is our hope	The motto of Sir Thomas de Boteler founder of Boteler Grammar School Warrington in 1526
Deus vult	God wills it!	The principal slogan of the Crusades.Motto of Bergen Catholic High School, NJ
dicto simpliciter	[From] a maxim, simply	I.e. "From a rule without exception." Short for A dicto simpliciter, the a often being dropped by confusion with the indefinite article. A dicto simpliciter occurs when an acceptable exception is ignored or eliminated. For instance, the appropriateness of using opiates is dependent on the presence of extreme pain. To justify the recreational use of opiates by referring to a cancer patient or to justify arresting said cancer patient by comparing him to the recreational user would be a dicto simpliciter.
dictum meum pactum	my word [is] my bond	Motto of the London Stock Exchange.
diem perdidi	I have lost the day	From the Roman Emperor Titus. Passed down in Suetonius's biography of him in Lives of the Twelve Caesars (8).
Dies Irae	Day of Wrath	Refers to the Judgment Day in Christian eschatology. The name of a famous 13th-century Medieval Latin hymn by Tommaso da Celano, used in the Mass for the dead.
dies non juridicum	Day without judiciary	Days under common law (traditionally Sunday) in which no legal process can be served and any judgment is void. This concept was first codified by the English Parliament in the reign of Charles II.
dirigo	I direct	In Classical Latin, "I arrange". State motto of Maine. Based on a comparison of the State of Maine to the star Polaris.
dis aliter visum	it seemed otherwise to the gods	In other words, the gods have different plans than mortals, and so events do not always play out as people wish them to.
dis manibus sacrum (D.M.S.)	Sacred to the ghost-gods	Refers to the Manes, Roman spirits of the dead. Loosely "To the memory of". A conventional inscription preceding the name of the deceased on pagan grave markings, often shortened to dis manibus (D.M.), "for the ghost-gods". Preceded in some earlier monuments by hic situs est (H. S. E.), "he lies here".
disce quasi semper victurus vive quasi cras moriturus	Learn as if always going to live; live as if tomorrow going to die.	Attributed to St Edmund of Abingdon.
dissiecta membra	scattered limbs	That is, "scattered remains". Paraphrased from Horace, Satires, I, 4, 62, where it was written "disiecti membra poetae" (limbs of a scattered poet). Also written as disjecta membra.
ditat Deus	God enriches	State motto of Arizona, adopted in 1911. Probably derived from the Vulgate's translation of Genesis 14:23.
divide et impera	divide and rule	A Roman maxim adopted by Julius Caesar, Louis XI and Machiavelli. Commonly rendered "divide and conquer".
dixi	I have spoken	A popular eloquent expression, usually used in the end of a speech. The implied meaning is: "I have said all that I had to say and thus the argument is settled".
["...", ...] dixit	["...", ...] said	Used to attribute a statement or opinion to its author, rather than the speaker.
docendo discitur	It is learned by teaching	Also translated "One learns by teaching." Attributed to Seneca the Younger.
docendo disco, scribendo cogito	I learn by teaching, think by writing.
dolus specialis	special intent	"The ... concept is particular to a few civil law systems and cannot sweepingly be equated with the notions of ‘special’ or ‘specific intent’ in common law systems. Of course, the same might equally be said of the concept of ‘specific intent,’ a notion used in the common law almost exclusively within the context of the defense of voluntary intoxication."—Genocide scholar William Schabas
Domine dirige nos	Lord guide us	Motto of the City of London
Dominus Illuminatio Mea	God lights the way. The Lord is my light.	Motto of the University of Oxford.
Dominus vobiscum	Lord be with you	Phrase used during and at the end of Catholic sermons, and a general greeting form among and towards members of Catholic organizations, such as priests and nuns. See also pax vobiscum.
dona nobis pacem	give us peace	Often set to music, either by itself or as part of the Agnus Dei prayer of the Mass. Also an ending in the video game Haunting Ground.
donatio mortis causa	giving in expectation of death	A legal concept where a person in imminent mortal danger need not meet the requisite consideration to create or modify a will.
draco dormiens nunquam titillandus	a sleeping dragon is never to be tickled	Motto of the fictional Hogwarts school in the Harry Potter series; translated more loosely in the books as, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon".
dramatis personae	the people of the play	More literally, "the masks of the drama"; more figuratively, "cast of characters". The characters represented in a dramatic work.
ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt	The fates lead the willing and drag the unwilling	Attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
ductus exemplo	Leadership by example	This is the motto for the United States Marine Corps' Officer Candidates School located at Marine Corps Base Quantico; Quantico, Virginia.
dulce bellum inexpertis	War is sweet to the inexperienced	War may seem pleasant to those who have never been involved in it, though the more experienced know better. A phrase from Erasmus in the 16th century.
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori	It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland.	From Horace, Odes III, 2, 13. Used by Wilfred Owen for the title of a poem about World War I, Dulce et Decorum Est.
dulce et utile	a sweet and useful thing	Horace wrote in his Ars Poetica that poetry must be dulce et utile (pleasant and profitable), both enjoyable and instructive.
dulce periculum	danger is sweet	Horace, Odes III, 25, 16. Motto of the Scottish clan MacAulay.
dulcius ex asperis	sweeter after difficulties	Motto of the Scottish clan Fergusson.
dum Roma deliberat Saguntum perit	while Rome debates, Saguntum is in danger	Used when someone has been asked for urgent help, but responds with no immediate action. Similar to Hannibal ante portas, but referring to a less personal danger.
dum spiro spero	while I breathe, I hope	State motto of South Carolina. From Cicero.
dum vivimus servimus	While we live, we serve	Motto of Presbyterian College.
dum vivimus, vivamus	While we live, let us live!	An encouragement to embrace life. Motto inscribed on the sword of the main character in the novel Glory Road.
dura lex sed lex	[The] law [is] harsh, but [it is the] law.
dura mater	tough mother	The outer covering of the brain.
dum vita est, spes est	While there is life, there is hope.
dux bellorum	War leader

References

• Adeleye, Gabriel G. (1999). World Dictionary of Foreign Expressions. Ed. Thomas J. Sienkewicz and James T. McDonough, Jr. Wauconda, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0865164223.
• Hardon, John, Fr. Modern Catholic Dictionary.
• Stone, Jon R. (1996). Latin for the Illiterati. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415917751.