Aliud est celare, aliud tacere
“It is one thing to conceal, another to keep silent.”
Cicero, De officiis, Book 3
What does “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere” mean?
Aliud est celare, aliud tacere translates as “It is one thing to conceal, another to keep silent.”
Not volunteering information is different from actively hiding it. The distinction still matters in ethics, business and law.
“Aliud est celare, aliud tacere” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Aliud | one thing | neuter nominative singular of alius, “other, another”; the neuter “one thing” is the subject of est |
| est | it is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| celare | to conceal | present infinitive (active) of celo, “I hide, conceal”; the infinitive acts as a noun, “concealing” |
| aliud | another thing | neuter nominative singular of alius; repeated for contrast, with est understood |
| tacere | to keep silent | present infinitive (active) of taceo, “I am silent” |
How to pronounce “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere”
The two systems differ only in the c: hard k in classical (celare, tacere), soft ch in church Latin. The stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of both infinitives: ce-LA-re, ta-CE-re.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “one thing is to conceal, another thing is to keep silent”. The structure “aliud est X, aliud Y” is a standard Latin way of saying that two things are not the same.
It comes from Cicero’s De officiis (“On Duties”), Book 3, where he discusses whether what is useful can ever conflict with what is honourable. Cicero writes it as a short rule within his discussion of honesty in trade.
He illustrates it with a grain merchant who arrives in a famine-struck city knowing that more grain ships are on the way. The question is whether he must tell the buyers or may stay silent and sell at the high price. The line has since been quoted in discussions of disclosure, honesty and the limits of fair dealing.
How to use “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere”
Fits a business-ethics lecture, an essay on duties of disclosure, or a talk on transparency in law or sales. It can also caption a discussion of the difference between privacy and deception.
- Latin
- Aliud est celare, aliud tacere
- English
- It is one thing to conceal, another to keep silent.
- Source
- Cicero, De officiis, Book 3
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Honesty
Common mistakes
- It does not say that silence is always innocent. Cicero’s point is about when silence becomes a way of hiding something others have a right to know.
- Celare is “to conceal, hide”, not “to celebrate”. It looks like English “celebrate” or “celestial” but is unrelated.
- Do not read aliud as “all”. It means “another thing”, and the line contrasts two actions.
- Quoting only one half, such as “aliud est celare”, loses the contrast that carries the meaning.
Questions about “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere”
What does “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere” mean literally?
“It is one thing to conceal, another to keep silent.” Hiding something is not the same act as simply not mentioning it.
Who said “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere”?
It comes from Cicero’s De officiis, Book 3, in his discussion of honesty in trade.
How do you pronounce “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere”?
In classical Latin: AH-lee-ood ehst keh-LAH-reh AH-lee-ood tah-KEH-reh. In church Latin the c in celare and tacere becomes ch.
Is “Aliud est celare, aliud tacere” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is grammatical Latin taken from Cicero. It is a long, abstract line, so check that the meaning about honesty and disclosure is what you want to express.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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