List of Latin phrases (F)

This page is one of a series listing English translations of notable Latin phrases, such as veni, vidi, vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of Greek phrases, as ancient Greek rhetoric and literature started centuries before the beginning of Latin literature in ancient Rome.

This list covers the letter F. See List of Latin phrases for the main list.

F

Latin	Translation	Notes
faber est suae quisque fortunae	every man is the artisan of his own fortune	Appius Claudius Caecus. Motto of Fort Street High School in Petersham, Sydney, Australia.
fac fortia et patere	do brave deeds and endure	Motto of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, Australia.
fac simile	make a similar thing	Origin of the word facsimile, and, through it, of fax.
faciam ut mei memineris	I'll make you remember me	from Plautus, Persa IV.3-24; used by Russian hooligans as tattoo inscription.
facile princeps	easily the first	Said of the acknowledged leader in some field, especially in the arts and humanities.
facio liberos ex liberis libris libraque	"I make free adults out of children by means of books and a balance."	Motto of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico
facta, non verba	deeds, not words	Frequently used as motto.
falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus	false in one, false in all	A Roman legal principle indicating that a witness who willfully falsifies one matter is not credible on any matter. The underlying motive for attorneys to impeach opposing witnesses in court: the principle discredits the rest of their testimony if it is without corroboration.
feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentes	I have done what I could; let those who can do better.	from Henry Baerlein's introduction to his translation of The Diwan of Abul ʿAla by Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri (973–1057); also in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, act I.
NN fecit	NN made (this)	a formula used traditionally in the author's signature by painters, sculptors, artisans, scribes etc. Compare pinxit.
fecisti patriam diversis de gentibus unam	"From differing peoples you have made one native land"	Verse 63 from the poem De reditu suo by Rutilius Claudius Namatianus praising emperor Augustus.
felix culpa	fortunate fault	from "Exsultet" of the Catholic liturgy
felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas	happy is he who can discover the causes of things	Virgil. "Rerum cognoscere causas" is the motto of the London School of Economics and the University of Sheffield.
felo de se	felon from himself	An archaic legal term for one who commits suicide, referring to early English common law punishments, such as land seizure, inflicted on those who killed themselves.
fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt	men generally believe what they want to	People's beliefs are shaped largely by their desires. Julius Caesar, The Gallic War 3.18
festina lente	hurry slowly	An oxymoronic motto of Augustus. It encourages proceeding quickly, but with calm and caution. Equivalent to 'More haste, less speed'. Motto of The Madeira School, McLean, Virginia.
fiat iustitia et pereat mundus	let justice be done, though the world shall perish	Motto of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor.
fiat justitia ruat caelum	let justice be done should the sky fall	Attributed to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus.
fiat lux	let light be made	Less literally, "let light arise" or "let there be light" (cf. lux sit). From the Latin translation of Genesis, "dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux" ("and God said, 'Let light be made', and light was made."); frequently used as motto for educational institutions.
fiat panis	let there be bread	Motto of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
fiat voluntas Dei	May God's will be done	The motto of Robert May's School
fiat voluntas tua	Thy will be done	The motto of Archbishop Richard Smith of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton.
ficta voluptatis causa sint proxima veris	fictions meant to please should approximate the truth	Horace Ars Poetica (338), advice presumably discounted by the magical realists
Fidei Defensor (Fid Def) or (fd)	Defender of the Faith	A title given to Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on October 17, 1521 before Henry became a heresiarch. Still used by the British monarchs, it appears on all British coins, usually abbreviated.
fidem scit	He knows the faith	Sometimes mistranslated to "Keep the faith", when used in contemporary English-language writings of all kinds to convey a light-hearted wish for the reader's well-being.
fides qua creditur	the faith by which it is believed	the personal faith which apprehends, contrasted with fides quae creditur
fides quae creditur	the faith which is believed	the content of "the faith," contrasted with fides qua creditur
fides quaerens intellectum	faith seeking understanding	the motto of Saint Anselm, found in his Proslogion
fidus Achates	faithful Achates	A faithful friend. From the name of Aeneas's faithful companion in Virgil's Aeneid.
filae nostrae sicvt angvli incisi similitvdine templi	may our daughters be as polished as the corners' of the temple	Motto of Francis Holland School
finis coronat opus	the end crowns the work	the end justifies the means.
finis vitae sed non amoris	the end of life, but not of love
flagellum dei	scourge of god	referred to Attila the Hun, when he led his armies to invade the Western Roman Empire.
flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo	if I cannot move heaven I will raise hell	Virgil's Aeneid, book VII.312
floreat etona	may Eton flourish	Motto of Eton College
floreat nostra schola	may our school flourish	Common school motto
floruit (fl.)	one flourished	Indicates the period when a historical figure whose birth and death dates are unknown was most active.
fluctuat nec mergitur	she wavers and is not immersed	Motto of Paris.
fons et origo	the spring and source	"The fountainhead and beginning". The source and origin.
fons sapientiae, verbum Dei	the fount of knowledge is the word of God.	The motto of Bishop Blanchet High School.
forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit	perhaps even these things will be good to remember one day	From Virgil's Aeneid, book I, line 203.
fortes fortuna adiuvat	Fortune favours the bold	The motto of the 3rd Marine Regiment
fortes in fide	strong in faith	Frequently used as motto.
fortis cadere, cedere non potest	The brave may fall, but cannot yield	Motto of Fahnestock Family Arms.
fortis est veritas	truth is strong	Motto on the coat of arms of Oxford, England.
fortis et liber	strong and free	Motto of Alberta.
fortis in arduis	strong in difficulties	Motto of Municipal Borough of Middleton from the Earl of Middleton.
fortiter et fideliter	bravely and faithfully	Frequently used as motto. Used by The King's School, Sydney.
fortunae meae, multorum faber	artisan of my fate and that of several others	Motto of Gatineau.
fui quod es, eris quod sum	I once was what you are, you will be what I am	An Epitaph, made to remind the reader of the inevitability of death, saying "Once I was alive like you are, and you will be dead as I am now." As believed, it was carved on a gravestone of some Roman military officer.
fumus boni iuris	presumption of sufficient legal basis
Futue te ipsum	Go fuck yourself		fundamenta inconcussa	unshakable foundation