Labor omnia vincit
“Work conquers all.”
Virgil, Georgics 1.145-146
What does “Labor omnia vincit” mean?
Labor omnia vincit translates as “Work conquers all.”
Persistent effort overcomes almost every obstacle. Talent helps, but steady work is what gets things done.
“Labor omnia vincit” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | work, toil | nominative singular masculine of labor, “work, hardship”; the subject of the sentence |
| omnia | all things, everything | accusative plural neuter of omnis, “all”; the object of vincit |
| vincit | conquers, overcomes | third person singular present indicative active of vinco, “I conquer”; the subject is labor |
How to pronounce “Labor omnia vincit”
The two differ mainly in vincit: Classical has a hard c and a w sound (WIN-kit), Church Latin has a ch sound and a v (VEEN-chit). Stress falls on the first syllable of labor and omnia, and on the first of vincit.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “work conquers all things”. It comes from Virgil’s Georgics, a poem about farming written in the 1st century BC.
In the Georgics, Virgil describes how Jupiter made farming hard on purpose, so that people would be forced to sharpen their skills. In that setting the line is followed by the words “and pressing need in hard times”. Labor here means grinding, relentless toil rather than pleasant work.
Torn from its context, the phrase became a general motto of perseverance. It is used by schools, towns and organisations, and appears on coats of arms and public buildings.
How to use “Labor omnia vincit”
It suits a desk motto, a graduation or school card, a tattoo about perseverance, or a caption on a post about training or building something over time. It fits best where the message is that effort pays off, rather than luck or talent.
- Latin
- Labor omnia vincit
- English
- Work conquers all.
- Source
- Virgil, Georgics 1.145-146
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Work
Common mistakes
- Omnia is plural (“all things”), not “everything is work”. Labor is the subject, omnia the object.
- Spelling it “vinci” or “vincet” changes the grammar: vincet is future (“will conquer”), vinci is not the right form here.
- Some sources quote the longer form Labor omnia vincit improbus, “relentless toil conquers all”. The word improbus is part of the original wording in Virgil, so the short form is a trimmed version.
Questions about “Labor omnia vincit”
What does “Labor omnia vincit” mean literally?
“Work conquers all things.” Labor is the subject, omnia (all things) the object and vincit (conquers) the verb.
Who said “Labor omnia vincit”?
It comes from Virgil’s Georgics 1.145-146, a poem on farming from the 1st century BC.
How do you pronounce “Labor omnia vincit”?
In Classical Latin: LAH-bor OM-nee-ah WIN-kit. In Church Latin the last word becomes VEEN-chit.
Is “Labor omnia vincit” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is correct and well attested. Just keep omnia and vincit as written, since changing the endings changes the meaning.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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