Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est
“Of all the arts, medicine is the noblest.”
Latin proverb; after Hippocrates, ‘Law’
What does “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est” mean?
Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est translates as “Of all the arts, medicine is the noblest.”
Healing others is held up as the most honourable of all skills.
“Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Omnium | of all | genitive plural (neuter here) of omnis, “all, every”; “of all things”, here matched with artium |
| artium | of the arts, of the skills | genitive plural of ars, “art, skill, craft” |
| medicina | medicine | nominative singular of medicina, “the art of healing”; the subject of the sentence |
| nobilissima | the noblest, the most distinguished | superlative of nobilis, “noble”, feminine nominative singular to agree with medicina |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
How to pronounce “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est”
The main difference is the c in medicina (hard k in Classical, ch in Church) and the t in artium (a plain t in Classical, ts in Church). Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of medicina and nobilissima, and on the first syllable of omnium and artium.
The story behind it
Word for word the sentence says “of all arts, medicine is the noblest”. Here ars means any skilled craft, so “arts” covers all trained professions, not only painting or music.
The thought goes back to the opening of the Hippocratic treatise known as “Law”, which calls medicine the most distinguished of all the arts. The Hippocratic writings are a collection from the Greek medical tradition, linked to the physician Hippocrates.
The Latin wording circulates as a proverb rather than as a line from a named Roman author, so it is best treated as an adaptation of the Greek idea. It is often quoted in medical settings and in praise of doctors.
How to use “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est”
It suits a doctor’s or nurse’s office, a card for a new medical graduate, a speech at a graduation or white-coat ceremony, or a tattoo for someone in healthcare. It also works as a caption for a photo of a hospital team or a medical school.
- Latin
- Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est
- English
- Of all the arts, medicine is the noblest.
- Source
- Latin proverb; after Hippocrates, ‘Law’
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Work
Common mistakes
- Do not read omnium artium as “of all art”. Artium is plural, so it means “of all the arts” or “of all skills”.
- Nobilissima is feminine to agree with medicina. Changing the subject to a masculine noun means changing it to nobilissimus.
- It is not a line from Cicero, Celsus or Hippocrates in Latin. It is a Latin proverb based on a Greek source, so avoid giving it an exact classical citation.
- Dropping est is common in mottoes, but the full sentence needs it to read as a complete statement.
Questions about “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est”
What does “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est” mean literally?
“Of all arts, medicine is the noblest.” Medicina is the subject, nobilissima is the superlative “most noble”, and omnium artium means “of all the arts”.
Who said “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est”?
No single Roman author is known for it. It is a Latin proverb that echoes the opening of the Hippocratic treatise “Law”, which praises medicine as the most distinguished of the arts.
How do you pronounce “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est”?
In Classical Latin: OM-nee-oom AR-tee-oom meh-dih-KEE-nah noh-bih-LIS-sih-mah est. In Church Latin the c in medicina becomes ch, so it is meh-dee-CHEE-nah.
Is “Omnium artium medicina nobilissima est” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, the grammar is sound: a genitive plural phrase, a feminine nominative subject and a matching superlative. Just be aware it is a proverb of uncertain origin, not a quotation from a named ancient author.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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