List of legal Latin terms

A number of Latin terms are used in legal terminology and legal maxims. This is a partial list of these "legal Latin" terms, which are wholly or substantially drawn from Latin.

Term or phrase	Literal translation	Definition and use
a fortiori	from stronger	An a fortiori argument is an "argument from a stronger reason", meaning that because one fact is true, that a second related and included fact must also be true.
a posteriori	from later	An argument derived from subsequent event
a priori	from earlier	An argument derived from previous event
a quo	previous	Regarding a court of first instance, or the decision/s of a previous court, known as the court a quo.
ab extra	from outside	Concerning a case, a person may have received some funding from a 3rd party. This funding may have been considered ab extra.
ab initio	from the beginning	"Commonly used referring to the time a contract, statute, marriage, or deed become legal. e.g The couple was covered ab initio by her health policy.

absque hoc	without this	"Presenting the negative portion of a plea when pleading at common by way a special traverse."
actus reus	guilty act	Part of what proves criminal liability (with mens rea)
ad coelum	to the sky	Abbreviated from Cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad infernos which translates to "[for] whoever owns [the] soil, [it] is his all the way [up] to Heaven and [down] to Hell." The principle that the owner of a parcel of land also owns the air above and the ground below the parcel.
ad colligenda bona	to collect the goods
ad hoc	for this	Generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes.
ad hominem	at the person	Attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.
ad idem	to the same thing	In agreement.
ad infinitum	to infinity	To continue forever.
ad litem	for the case	Describes a party designated to represent another party who is deemed incapable of representing him/herself (e.g. a child or incapacitated adult).
ad quod damnum	according to the harm	Used in tort law. Implies that the reward or penalty ought to correspond to the damage suffered or inflicted.
ad valorem	according to value
adjournment sine die	adjournment without a day	When an assembly adjourns without setting a date for its next meeting.
affidavit	he has sworn	A formal statement of fact.
alter ego	another I	A second identity living within a person.
a mensa et thoro	from bed and table	Divorce a mensa et thoro indicates legal separation without legal divorce.
amicus curiae	friend of the court	A person who offers information to a court regarding a case before it.
animus nocendi	mind of harming	The subjective state of mind of the author of a crime, with reference to the exact knowledge of illegal content of his behaviour, and of its possible consequences.
animus possidendi	intention to possess	"In order to claim possessory rights, an individual must establish physical control of the res and the intention to possess (i.e. animus possidendi)"
animus revertendi	return to possessor	"Wild animals, such as bees and homing pigeons, that by habit go 'home' to their posessor. Used when discussing ferae naturae."
ante	before
arguendo	for the sake of argument
Articulo Mortis	at the point of Death	Often used in probate law, as well as for testimony in the sense of a "dying declaration."
Audi alteram partem	hear the other side	Refers to the idea that one cannot be fairly judged unless the cases for and against them have been heard.