How Much Do You Know About Latin Words and Idioms? Take Our Quiz To See If You Can Veni, Vidi, Vici
Written by Vasilii Kulev
Last updated · 7 min play time
Latin might be a dead language, but many Latin words and idioms are still widely used in many languages around the world. How much do you know about Latin words and idioms? Do you know the literal translation of "mea culpa" or "rigor mortis"? Take our quiz to find out!
There is still no consensus among historians and linguists whether Latin is a dead language. Some say that it is because nobody speaks it as their first language anymore. Others claim that Latin went on living as Spanish, Italian or other languages it directly influenced.
If you ask us, Latin is as alive as ever. In fact, many people still use Latin words and phrases on an everyday basis. If you've ever used "ad hoc" or "alma mater" in a casual conversation — good job, you helped keep Latin alive.
With its influence on our language, arts and culture, Latin might never truly die. So give it the respect it deserves and test your knowledge of Latin words and phrases with our quiz!
Quiz written by
Vasilii KulevVasilii Kulev is a digital marketing specialist during business hours and a trivia writer in his spare time. His areas of interest range from cars and music to science, history, and food. Whenever he's not busy writing quizzes, you can catch him at the local used records store or the newest craft beer bar. He also wrote this entire bio himself in third person.
Latin Words and Idioms Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 53 Plays · No comments
Question 1
What Latin term is used in diplomacy to refer to an unwelcomed individual in a foreign country?
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AStatus quo
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BCasus belli
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CPersona non grata
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DPro forma
Persona non grata
In diplomacy, a persona non grata is a designation that a host country may sometimes bestow on foreign diplomats in order to strip them of diplomatic immunity from arrest and other forms of punishment.
Question 2
The Latin term bona fides is an important term in both law and business. What does it mean?
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AGood faith
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BGood day
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CGoodbye
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DGood and bad
Good faith
In human relationships, bona fides refers to good faith, a genuine desire to be open and honest regardless of the result. While several Latin words have lost their exact meaning over the ages, bona fides remains frequently used and interchangeable with its contemporary English translation of good faith.
Question 3
What Latin phrase refers to professional labor performed without compensation or pay?
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ACui bono
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BDe novo
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CDe jure
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DPro bono
Pro bono
The phrase pro bono, which translates to "for the public good," is typically used in the legal profession. Pro bono lawyers serve the public interest by offering free legal services to people in need. The American Bar Association advises that all attorneys volunteer 50 hours per year to pro bono work.
Question 4
What Latin term is used to refer to the college or educational institution that someone once attended?
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ACaveat emptor
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BCum laude
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CAd meliora
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DAlma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater is an allegorical Latin term now used to refer to a former college or institution. The term has many translations including "nourishing mother," "nursing mother," and "fostering mother," all of which imply that a school offers intellectual sustenance for its pupils.
Question 5
In vitro studies are conducted on microbes, cells, or biological molecules that have been isolated from their natural environment. What does the term "in vitro" mean in English?
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A"In the glass"
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B"Of life"
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C"Alive and well"
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D"Unnatural"
"In the glass"
In vitro literally translates to "in the glass." Often referred to as "test-tube experiments," in vitro investigations in biology and its subfields have historically been conducted using laboratory ware such as test tubes, flasks, Petri dishes, and microtiter plates.
Question 6
Taken from Book 1 of Horace's book Odes, what Latin aphorism translates to "seize the day?"
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ACarpe diem
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BCogito ergo sum
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CAd hominen tu quoque
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DAd verecundiam
Carpe diem
In Horace's work, carpe diem is part of a longer sentence, "carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero," which is often translated as "seize the day, have little faith in tomorrow." The ode asserts that the future is unpredictable and that one should take steps in the present to improve one's future.
Question 7
What Latin term is sometimes used to describe the third stage of death?
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AGluteus maximus
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BVirile
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CCorpus
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DRigor mortis
Rigor mortis
Rigor mortis is one of the most visible symptoms of death, defined by the stiffening of the corpse's limbs produced by postmortem chemical changes in the muscles. Rigor mortis may develop as soon as four hours after death.
Question 8
What Latin term is derived from the Confiteor, a prayer of confession that translates as "through my fault?"
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AMea Culpa
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BDeus Revelatus
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CActus Purus
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DSensus Divinitas
Mea Culpa
Mea culpa is a Latin word that translates as "through my fault" and refers to an admission of wrongdoing. Additionally, the phrase is used as an acknowledgment of making a mistake that should've been avoided. It's also the name of Michael Cohen's podcast.
Question 9
What Latin term is used to refer to sound and fast decisions that are the result of intellect and intuition?
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ADolor
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BAcumen
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CCaptiosus
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DLiguritio
Acumen
The term acumen is derived from Latin, which translates to "a point" or "a sting." If you can make sound judgments, if your intelligence is keen, if you make logical strategic choices, then you might be said to have acumen.
Question 10
A curriculum vitae is a brief written overview of a person's career, credentials, and education. What does it translate to in English?
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A"Long journey"
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B"Path forward"
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C"Career and education"
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D"Course of life"
"Course of life"
Curriculum vitae literally translates to "course of life." In North America, but not so much abroad, the word resume is used interchangeably with CV when referring to a brief professional overview.
Question 11
Famously uttered by Julius Caesar, what Latin phrase alludes to a decisive win that occurs quickly?
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A"Veni, vidi, vici"
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B"Dum spiro spero"
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C"Docendo discimus"
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D"Natura nihil frustra facit"
"Veni, vidi, vici"
The phrase "veni, vidi, vici" translates to 'I came, I saw, I conquered." It is derived from a letter sent by Julius Caesar after his victory against Pharnaces II of Pontus.
Question 12
What Latin word translates to "with praise" and indicates a high academic performance level?
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ASalutatorian
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BHonoris causa
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CCum laude
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DValedictorian
Cum laude
Cum laude is one of three Latin honor terms frequently used in the United States, the others being summa cum laude and manga cum laude. Because the terms originate in Latin, they are often referred to as Latin honors. They are widespread in the United States but are used in just a few nations worldwide.
Question 13
What Latin phrase is used in English to refer to the majority of the people?
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AInnuendo
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BCivitas
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CVox populi
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DPontifex maximus
Vox populi
Vox populi literally translates to "people's voice." It's used in English to indicate the "majority view." Vox pop on the street is a term used in journalism to refer to brief interviews with the public.
Question 14
Which of these Latin phrases literally means "to this" in English and refers to a solution tailored to a particular goal or issue?
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AAb absurdo
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BA contrario
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CAd hoc
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DA priori
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase that literally translates as "to this." In English, it usually refers to a solution tailored to a particular goal, issue, or job. Ad hoc committees and commissions established at the national or international level to accomplish a particular objective are frequent examples.
Question 15
What Latin phrase is a symbolic reminder of death's inevitability?
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A"Requiescat in pace"
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B"Verba volant, sed scripta manent"
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C"Memento mori"
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D"Veni, vidi, vici"
"Memento mori"
Memento mori is Latin for "remember that you must die." The idea originated with ancient antiquity thinkers and manifested itself in medieval funeral art and architecture. Memento mori jewelry with skull or coffins themes gained popularity in the late 16th century.
Question 16
Translated as "I think, therefore I am," what Latin philosophical statement has long been associated with Rene Descartes?
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ANon ducor, duco
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BVincit qui se vincit
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CSic semper tyrannis
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DCogito ergo sum
Cogito ergo sum
Descartes' statement "Cogito ergo sum" translated as "I think, therefore I am," and it became a cornerstone of Western philosophy since it claimed to provide a definite basis for knowledge in the face of extreme uncertainty. Descartes believed that questioning one's existence acts as proof of the actuality of one's mind.
Question 17
What Latin phrase is used to refer to a narrative technique in which an apparently insoluble issue is unexpectedly resolved by an unforeseen and improbable event?
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AAuditus maximus
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BCavea
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CEpiskenion
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DDeus ex machina
Deus ex machina
The purpose of deus ex machina is often to settle an otherwise unresolvable narrative point, to surprise the audience, to bring the story to a joyful conclusion, or to serve as a comic device. It was a common theater technique used in the famous Ancient Greek tragedies.
Question 18
What Latin term is sometimes used in psychoanalysis to refer to the part of the psyche that meditates between the inner self and reality?
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AId
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BFrustra
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CSuperego
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DEgo
Ego
The term ego comes from Latin and translates as "I." In psychoanalysis, it's defined as the component of the mental apparatus that perceives and responds to the external world, mediating between the impulses of the unconscious and the needs of the social environment. Or it could just mean that you're a braggart.
Question 19
What is the Latin term for the theory that people are born without pre-existing mental content and that all knowledge must be acquired via experience or observation?
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ADe facto
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BEx nihilo nihil fit
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CTabula rasa
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DCausa sui
Tabula rasa
Tabula rasa is a Latin term that translates as "blank slate." It derives from the Roman tabula, a wax-covered tablet used for notes. The theory of tabula rasa, on the other hand, was developed by empiricists who believed that humans came into this world without any knowledge or "soul."
Question 20
An alibi is a common defense used during a criminal trial when the accused suggests they were in a different location when the crime was committed. But what is the Latin word's literal translation in English?
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A"In other respects"
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B"At another place"
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C"Otherwise"
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D"Excuse"
"Excuse"
The term alibi is derived from the Latin root "alibi," which translates as "excuse." When you provide an alibi, you are presenting evidence - a verified explanation - that you have not committed the crime in question.
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