Foreign Phrases commonly used in English
addendum: an item or items added
ad hoc: arranged or done, without pre-planning, for a single particular purpose.
ad hominem: connected to another person; personal.
ad infinitum: continuing or repeated without ever ending; endlessly.
ad libitum: according to pleasure
ad nauseam: to the point of annoyance or disgust.
ad valorem: (tax or duty) levied according to the value of the goods or transaction.
agent provocateur: someone employed to induce others to do illegal acts so that they can be
convicted
aide-de-camp: a military officer assigned to act as personal assistant to a higher ranked officer.
aide-memoire: something that serves as a reminder; a memorandum.
a la carte: a menu of dishes that may be ordered separately, besides the set meal.
a la mode: in the fashion; served with ice cream.
alfresco: in the open air; outdoor.
alma mater: one's former university, college, or school.
alter ego: another of a person's personality that is very different from his usual personality.
amour propre: self-respect; self-love.
Anno Domini: (in the year of the Lord) full form of AD
ante meridiem: a.m.; before noon; morning.
a posteriori: based on probable causes from past facts or experiences.
a priori: based on theoretical deduction from previous facts or experiences.
a propos: with reference to; to the point.
art nouveau: a new style of decorative art and architecture.
au fait: possessing considerable or intimate knowledge of something.
au pair: a young foreign woman who stays with and assists a family with housework and
childcare.
beau monde: the fashionable society.
bete noire: a hateful person or thing.
bona fide: real, genuine, true; not deceiving.
bon appetite: used to wish someone an enjoyable meal.
bon voyage: used to wish someone a good journey.
carte blanche: full powers; complete freedom to act.
charge d'affaires: deputy ambassador; a subordinate diplomat.
chef-d'oeuvre: masterpiece.
coup de grace: a final action or event that ends a suffering or a deteriorating situation.
coup d'etat: a sudden and sometimes violent overthrow of a government by the army.
crème de la crème: the very best of a particular kind of thing or group of people.
cul-de-sac: a road or passageway that is closed at one end.
de facto: existing as a fact but not by legal right.
de jure: rightful; by right.
de rigueur: indispensable, e.g. to be fashionable; obligatory.
en bloc: all together, rather than separately.
en masse: all together.
esprit de corps: spirit of comradeship uniting members of a group involved in the same activity.
ex officio: by virtue of one's office.
ex parte: in the interests of one side only.
ex tempore: without preparation.
fait accompli: something done or decided without reference to interested parties.
faux pas: a social blunder.
femme fatale: an attractive and seductive woman.
Homo sapiens: human beings.
in situ: in its original or usual place.
inter alia: among other things.
in toto: as a whole; entirely.
ipso facto: by that very fact.
laissez-faire: non-interference in economic matters.
lapis lazuli: a valuable bright blue stone.
lingua franca: a language used by people whose native languages are different.
locus standi: the right to appear before a court.
modus operandi: a typical way of doing something.
modus vivendi: an arrangement for peaceful co-existence between conflicting parties.
non sequitur: a statement that is not connected in a logical way with the previous statement.
nota bene: note well after observing carefully.
nouveau riche: people who have recently become wealthy; newly rich.
nouvelle cuisine: a modern style of cooking from France.
par excellence: the very best, surpassing all others.
persona non grata: a person who is not welcome.
post mortem: an examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death or an event after its occurrence to find out why it failed.
prima facie: accepted as true until proved otherwise.
pro bono publico: describing legal work undertaken without charge.
pro forma: as a matter of form.
pro rata: in proportion.
quid pro quo: something that is given or done in exchange for something else.
raison d'etre: reason something exists or is done.
sine die: indefinitely.
sine qua non: something that is absolutely essential; indispensable condition.
status quo: the existing situation.
sub judice: a case under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion.
subpoena: written order ordering or to order someone to attend a court of law or be punished.
table d'hote: a set meal served at a fixed price in a hotel or restaurant.
tete-a-tete: a private conversation between two people; face to face.
tour de force: something achieved skillfully and in a way that impresses.
ultra vires: beyond one's legal power or authority.
vice versa: used to mean the opposite of a statement or situation just described is also true.
vis-à-vis: in relation to; as compared with.
ad hoc: arranged or done, without pre-planning, for a single particular purpose.
ad hominem: connected to another person; personal.
ad infinitum: continuing or repeated without ever ending; endlessly.
ad libitum: according to pleasure
ad nauseam: to the point of annoyance or disgust.
ad valorem: (tax or duty) levied according to the value of the goods or transaction.
agent provocateur: someone employed to induce others to do illegal acts so that they can be
convicted
aide-de-camp: a military officer assigned to act as personal assistant to a higher ranked officer.
aide-memoire: something that serves as a reminder; a memorandum.
a la carte: a menu of dishes that may be ordered separately, besides the set meal.
a la mode: in the fashion; served with ice cream.
alfresco: in the open air; outdoor.
alma mater: one's former university, college, or school.
alter ego: another of a person's personality that is very different from his usual personality.
amour propre: self-respect; self-love.
Anno Domini: (in the year of the Lord) full form of AD
ante meridiem: a.m.; before noon; morning.
a posteriori: based on probable causes from past facts or experiences.
a priori: based on theoretical deduction from previous facts or experiences.
a propos: with reference to; to the point.
art nouveau: a new style of decorative art and architecture.
au fait: possessing considerable or intimate knowledge of something.
au pair: a young foreign woman who stays with and assists a family with housework and
childcare.
beau monde: the fashionable society.
bete noire: a hateful person or thing.
bona fide: real, genuine, true; not deceiving.
bon appetite: used to wish someone an enjoyable meal.
bon voyage: used to wish someone a good journey.
carte blanche: full powers; complete freedom to act.
charge d'affaires: deputy ambassador; a subordinate diplomat.
chef-d'oeuvre: masterpiece.
coup de grace: a final action or event that ends a suffering or a deteriorating situation.
coup d'etat: a sudden and sometimes violent overthrow of a government by the army.
crème de la crème: the very best of a particular kind of thing or group of people.
cul-de-sac: a road or passageway that is closed at one end.
de facto: existing as a fact but not by legal right.
de jure: rightful; by right.
de rigueur: indispensable, e.g. to be fashionable; obligatory.
en bloc: all together, rather than separately.
en masse: all together.
esprit de corps: spirit of comradeship uniting members of a group involved in the same activity.
ex officio: by virtue of one's office.
ex parte: in the interests of one side only.
ex tempore: without preparation.
fait accompli: something done or decided without reference to interested parties.
faux pas: a social blunder.
femme fatale: an attractive and seductive woman.
Homo sapiens: human beings.
in situ: in its original or usual place.
inter alia: among other things.
in toto: as a whole; entirely.
ipso facto: by that very fact.
laissez-faire: non-interference in economic matters.
lapis lazuli: a valuable bright blue stone.
lingua franca: a language used by people whose native languages are different.
locus standi: the right to appear before a court.
modus operandi: a typical way of doing something.
modus vivendi: an arrangement for peaceful co-existence between conflicting parties.
non sequitur: a statement that is not connected in a logical way with the previous statement.
nota bene: note well after observing carefully.
nouveau riche: people who have recently become wealthy; newly rich.
nouvelle cuisine: a modern style of cooking from France.
par excellence: the very best, surpassing all others.
persona non grata: a person who is not welcome.
post mortem: an examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death or an event after its occurrence to find out why it failed.
prima facie: accepted as true until proved otherwise.
pro bono publico: describing legal work undertaken without charge.
pro forma: as a matter of form.
pro rata: in proportion.
quid pro quo: something that is given or done in exchange for something else.
raison d'etre: reason something exists or is done.
sine die: indefinitely.
sine qua non: something that is absolutely essential; indispensable condition.
status quo: the existing situation.
sub judice: a case under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion.
subpoena: written order ordering or to order someone to attend a court of law or be punished.
table d'hote: a set meal served at a fixed price in a hotel or restaurant.
tete-a-tete: a private conversation between two people; face to face.
tour de force: something achieved skillfully and in a way that impresses.
ultra vires: beyond one's legal power or authority.
vice versa: used to mean the opposite of a statement or situation just described is also true.
vis-à-vis: in relation to; as compared with.
