| FOREIGN WORDS | LANGUAGE & MEANING |
| Ab initio | Latin. From the beginning |
| Ad hoc | Latin. For the specific purpose, case or situation at hand |
| Ad libitum | Latin. At the discretion of the performer |
| Affaire d’amour | French. A love affair |
| Aide de camp | French. A military officer acting as secretary and confidential assistant to the superior of general or flag rank |
| Alma mater | Latin. The school, college or a university that one has attended |
| Anno Domini | Latin. In a specified year of the Christian era |
| Ante meridiem | Latin. Before Noon |
| Au revoir | French. Used to express farewell |
| Billet-doux | French. A love letter |
| Bona fide | Latin. Made or carried out in good faith; sincere |
| Boulevard | French. A broad city street. Often tree-lined and landscaped |
| Bourgeoisie | French. The middle class |
| Coup d’etat | French. The sudden overthrow of a government, usually by a small group of persons in or previously in positions of authority |
| Cuisine | French. A characteristic manner or style of preparing food |
| De facto | Latin. In reality or fact |
| De jure | Latin. According to law |
| Exempli gratia | Latin. For example |
| En masse | French. In one group or body; altogether |
| En route | French. On or along the way |
| Erratum | Latin. An error in printing or writing especially such an error noted in a list of corrections and bound into a book |
| Et cetera | Latin. And other unspecified things of the same class; and so forth |
| Ex officio | Latin. By virtue of office or position |
| Extempore | Latin. Spoken, carried out or composed with little or no preparation or forethought |
| Fait accompli | French. An accomplished, presumably irreversible deed or fact |
| Gourmet | French. A connoisseur of fine food and drink |
| Gratis | Latin. Without charge |
| Habeas corpus | Latin. One of a variety of writs that may be issued to bring a party before a court or judge, having as its function the release of the party from unlawful restraint. |
| Ibidem | Latin. In the same place. Used in footnotes and bibliographies to refer to the book, chapter, article, or page cited just before. |
| Id est | Latin. That is to say. |
| Impasse | French. 1) A road or passage having no exit; 2) A situation that is so difficult that no progress can be made; a deadlock or a stalemate. |
| In absentia | Latin. While or although not present; in absence. |
| In memoriam | Latin. In memory of; as a memorial to |
| In toto | Latin. Totally; altogether |
| Laissez-faire | French. 1) Noninterference in the affairs of others; 2) An economic doctrine that opposes governmental regulation of or interference in commerce beyond the minimum necessary for a free-enterprise system to operate according to its own economic laws. |
| Magnum opus | Latin. A great work especially a literacy or artistic masterpiece. |
| Nom de plume | French. Pen-name; assumed name used by a writer instead of original name. |
| Persona grata | Latin. Fully acceptable or welcome especially to a foreign government |
| Post meridiem | Latin. Afternoon; used chiefly in the abbreviated form to specify the hour |
| Post-mortem | Latin. Of or relating to a medical examination of a dead body. |
| Prima facie | Latin. At first sight; before closer inspection |
| Pro bono | Latin. Done without compensation for the public good. |
| Pro rata | Latin. In proportion, according to a factor that can be calculated exactly. |
| Pro tempore | Latin. For the time being; temporarily |
| Quasi | Latin. Having likeness to something; resembling |
| Répondez s’il vous plaît | French. Please reply |
| Résumé | French. A brief account of one’s professional or work experience and qualification |
| Sangfroid | French. Coolness and composure, especially in trying circumstances |
| Status quo | Latin. The existing condition or state of affairs |
| Sine die | Latin. Without a day specified for a future meeting; indefinitely |
| Sine qua non | Latin. An essential element or condition |
| Tete-a-tete | French. Without the instrusion of a third person; in intimate privacy |
| Verbatim | Latin. Using exactly the same words; corresponding word for word |
| Versus | Latin. Against |
| Via | Latin. By way of |
| Vide | Latin. Used to direct a reader’s attention |
| Vice versa | Latin. With the order or meaning reversed; conversely |
| Vis-a-vis | French 1) Face to face; with opposite to, 2) compared with, 3) in relation to |
| Viva voce | Latin. By word of mouth |
| Vox populi | Latin. Popular opinion or sentiment |