Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate
“Truth lies hidden, but nothing is more precious than truth.”
Latin saying
What does “Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate” mean?
Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate translates as “Truth lies hidden, but nothing is more precious than truth.”
The truth is hard to find, and that is exactly why it is worth seeking.
“Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Latet | lies hidden | third person singular present active indicative of lateo, “I lie hidden”; the subject is veritas |
| enim | for, indeed | a connecting word that gives a reason or adds emphasis; it normally stands second in its clause, as here |
| veritas | truth | nominative singular feminine of veritas, “truth”; subject of latet |
| sed | but | conjunction marking the contrast between the two halves of the saying |
| nihil | nothing | indeclinable pronoun, here the subject of the second clause with est understood |
| pretiosius | more precious | comparative adjective (neuter nominative singular) of pretiosus, “precious, valuable” |
| veritate | than truth | ablative singular of veritas, used for comparison after a comparative (the “ablative of comparison”) |
How to pronounce “Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate”
The main differences are v (w in Classical, v in Church) and the ti in pretiosius (tee in Classical, tsee in Church). In Church Latin the s between vowels in pretiosius is often voiced like z.
The story behind it
Word for word the saying runs “Truth lies hidden, but nothing is more precious than truth.” It sets two claims side by side: truth is hard to see, and nothing is worth more.
No author or work is known for this line, so it is best described as a Latin saying. Sayings like this were passed along in collections of maxims and quotations rather than in one named text.
The thought is a very old one, found in many traditions: what is valuable often takes effort to uncover. Today the line suits anyone who wants a short Latin motto about honesty, research or the search for the truth.
How to use “Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate”
A fitting motto for a journalist, researcher, student or anyone who values honesty. It also works as a tattoo, an engraving or an epigraph for an essay about truth and inquiry.
- Latin
- Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate
- English
- Truth lies hidden, but nothing is more precious than truth.
- Source
- Latin saying
- Era
- Traditional
- Theme
- Truth
Common mistakes
- It is not a quote from a famous Roman author. No source is known, so avoid attributing it to Cicero, Seneca or anyone else.
- Latet is “lies hidden”, not “lies” in the sense of telling a falsehood. That would be mentitur.
- The enim is easy to drop, but it adds the sense of “for” or “indeed”. Leaving it out changes the rhythm and the logic slightly.
- Pretiosius is a comparative (“more precious”). Writing pretiosus would break the comparison with veritate.
Questions about “Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate”
What does “Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate” mean literally?
“Truth lies hidden, for/but nothing is more precious than truth.” It says that truth is hard to find, yet worth more than anything else.
Who said “Latet enim veritas”?
No author is known. It is a traditional Latin saying, so it should not be credited to a specific classical writer.
How do you pronounce “Latet enim veritas”?
In Classical Latin: LAH-tet EH-nim WEH-ree-tahs. In Church Latin the v sounds like an English v: VEH-ree-tahs.
Is “Latet enim veritas, sed nihil pretiosius veritate” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the grammar is sound: veritate is the correct ablative after the comparative pretiosius. Just copy it exactly, including the spelling of pretiosius.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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