Foreign Words Used in English
| Word |
Meaning |
| ad hoc |
for this special purpose |
| ad infinitum |
to infinity |
| ad nauseam |
tiresome to the point of disgust |
| agent provocateur |
one who tempts a suspect to commit a crime so they may be caught |
| al dente |
cooked so as to be firm when eaten |
| alfresco |
in the open air |
| au fait |
fully informed; an expert |
| au naturel |
naked; uncooked or cooked simply |
| bête noire |
an object of particular dislike; pet aversion |
| blitzkrieg |
lightening war |
| bona fide |
in good faith |
| brasserie |
informal or inexpensive restaurant |
| carpe diem |
enjoy/ make the most of the present day |
| carte blanche |
full discretionary powers |
| cause célèbre |
famous lawsuit or controversy |
| caveat emptor |
let the buyer beware |
| chef-d'œuvre |
masterpiece |
| compos mentis |
sane |
| coup de grâce |
a finishing blow |
| coup d'état |
a sudden decisive political move; violent seizure of power |
| de facto |
actually, in fact |
| déjà vu |
sense of having previously experienced the current situation |
| dolce vita |
a life of pleasure and luxury |
| doppelgänger |
an apparition or double of a living person |
| double entendre |
double meaning |
| enfant terrible |
one whose behaviour is controversial |
| en masse |
in a body; altogether |
| ex gratia |
payment given as a favour as opposed to a legal obligation |
| ex officio |
by virtue of one's office/ position |
| fait accompli |
a thing done that cannot be undone |
| faux pas |
false step, an indiscretion |
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| Word |
Meaning |
| femme fatale |
seductive woman |
| force majeure |
superior strength |
| haute couture |
high fashion |
| haute cuisine |
high-class cooking |
| in absentia |
while not present |
| in camera |
in a judge's private room |
| in situ |
in its original position |
| inter alia |
among other things |
| je ne sais quoi |
hard to describe; I do not know what |
| joie de vivre |
joy of living |
| laissez-faire |
policy of non-intervention or inaction |
| mea culpa |
acknowledging fault; by my fault |
| modus operandi |
manner of working |
| non sequitur |
it does not follow logically from the previous statement |
| nouveau riche |
one newly enriched, an upstart |
| par excellence |
pre-eminently |
| per annum |
for each year |
| per capita |
for each person |
| per se |
by or in itself |
| persona non grata |
unacceptable or unwelcome person |
| pièce de résistance |
the most important/ impressive item |
| prima facie |
at first view |
| pro rata |
proportionally |
| quid pro quo |
a favour given in return for something |
| raison d’être |
the most important reason for someone's existence |
| sine die |
without date, indefinitely |
| sub judice |
being considered by a court and not to be discussed elsewhere |
| table d’hôte |
general guest table; fixed-price meal |
| terra firma |
solid earth |
| tête-à-tête |
a private conversation |
| vis-à-vis |
in relation to; as compared with |
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