Novissima verba
“Last words.”
Latin expression
What does “Novissima verba” mean?
Novissima verba translates as “Last words.”
The final words someone speaks before death. The phrase is used for the collections and study of famous last words, which often reveal a person’s character, faith or humour at the very end.
“Novissima verba” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Novissima | last, final | accusative neuter plural (also nominative) of the superlative adjective novissimus, “newest, last”, from novus, “new”; it agrees with verba |
| verba | words | accusative neuter plural (also nominative) of verbum, “word” |
How to pronounce “Novissima verba”
The only difference is the v, pronounced w in Classical Latin and v in Church Latin. The stress falls on the second syllable of novissima and the first of verba.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “the newest words”, which in Latin idiom means “the last words”. Novissimus is the superlative of novus, “new”, and Latin often uses it for what comes last in a series, the latest thing and so the final one.
The phrase is a Latin expression for dying words, and its first use cannot be pinned to one author. Writers have long used such wording as a title for collections of the sayings of the dying.
Anthologies of famous last words have been compiled under titles like this for a long time. The last words of a person are often read as a glimpse of their character, faith or humour at the very end.
How to use “Novissima verba”
It works well as a title for a history podcast episode, a chapter heading or an article on famous last words, and as an engraved line for a memorial or a book of final sayings.
- Latin
- Novissima verba
- English
- Last words.
- Source
- Latin expression
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Death
Common mistakes
- It does not mean “new words”. In this phrase novissima means “last”, not “newest”.
- The ending matters. Novissima verba is plural, so a single final word is novissimum verbum.
- Do not confuse it with ultima verba. Ultima also means “last”, but novissima is the form more usual for “last in time”.
- Do not credit it to one famous author. It is a general Latin expression, not a quotation from a single work.
Questions about “Novissima verba”
What does “Novissima verba” mean literally?
“The newest words”, which in Latin usage means “the last words”. Novissima is the superlative of novus, “new”.
Who said “Novissima verba”?
No single author. It is a general Latin expression for dying words, and its first use cannot be traced to one writer.
How do you pronounce “Novissima verba”?
Classical: noh-WIS-sih-mah WEHR-bah. Church Latin: noh-VIS-sih-mah VEHR-bah. Stress the second syllable of novissima and the first of verba.
Is “Novissima verba” correct Latin for a title or tattoo?
Yes, it is correct Latin for “last words” in the plural. For one person’s final statement you could also use a singular such as novissimum verbum.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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