In veritate et caritate
“In truth and love.”
Vulgate Bible, 2 John 1:3
What does “In veritate et caritate” mean?
In veritate et caritate translates as “In truth and love.”
Truth and love belong together: be honest, but be honest with charity.
“In veritate et caritate” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| In | in | a preposition that takes the ablative here, giving the sense “in” or “in the sphere of” |
| veritate | truth | ablative singular of veritas, “truth” (third declension, feminine), after in |
| et | and | a conjunction joining the two nouns |
| caritate | love | ablative singular of caritas, “love, charity” (third declension, feminine), after in |
How to pronounce “In veritate et caritate”
The two systems differ only in the v, which is a w sound in Classical Latin and a v sound in Church Latin. The stress falls on the third syllable of both veritate and caritate.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “in truth and charity”. Both nouns are in the ablative case after in, which is why the endings match: veritate and caritate.
It comes from the greeting of the Second Letter of John in the Latin Vulgate, the late fourth-century Latin Bible translation. The line sits in verse 3 of the letter, in the opening blessing.
Today the phrase is best known as a motto. A number of Catholic bishops and schools have adopted it, and it suits anyone who wants to pair honesty with kindness.
How to use “In veritate et caritate”
A fitting motto for a school, a community or a family, a tattoo or ring engraving about honest and kind living, or a line for a greeting card or a speech about speaking hard truths gently.
- Latin
- In veritate et caritate
- English
- In truth and love.
- Source
- Vulgate Bible, 2 John 1:3
- Era
- Late Antiquity
- Theme
- Truth
Common mistakes
- Caritas is not the same as modern English “charity” in the sense of donations. In this context it means love, in particular selfless love.
- Keep both nouns in the ablative after in. Writing veritas et caritas would turn the phrase into “truth and love” as subjects, which changes the construction.
- The two nouns are feminine, so adjectives added to them would need feminine endings.
Questions about “In veritate et caritate”
What does “In veritate et caritate” mean literally?
“In truth and love”. Caritas can also be rendered “charity” or “affection”, and the sense is of love that acts for another’s good.
Where does “In veritate et caritate” come from?
It comes from the greeting of the Second Letter of John, verse 3, in the Latin Vulgate Bible.
How do you pronounce “In veritate et caritate”?
In Classical Latin: in weh-ree-TAH-teh et kah-ree-TAH-teh. In Church Latin, the v is pronounced as in English, so veh-ree-TAH-teh.
Is “In veritate et caritate” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. Both nouns are correctly in the ablative case after in, and the phrase is a genuine biblical line, so it is safe to use as written.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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