Latin quote · Truth
Ipse dixit
“He himself said it.”
Cicero, De Natura Deorum 1.10
Translation
What does “Ipse dixit” mean?
Ipse dixit translates as “He himself said it.”
A claim backed only by someone’s authority, not by evidence or argument.
Origin
The story behind it
Cicero reports that followers of Pythagoras answered arguments simply with ‘he himself said it’, meaning the master. The term now names any unproven assertion resting on authority.
When to use it
Perfect for
It works as a caption, a card message, a tattoo idea, a motto for your desk or a print for your wall.
- Latin
- Ipse dixit
- English
- He himself said it.
- Source
- Cicero, De Natura Deorum 1.10
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Truth
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