Some foreign expressions have evolved into a common part of English writing, even finding their way into the English dictionary and the databases of many English grammar software. Used largely for their unique way of expressing concepts, employing them can breathe an unusual amount of effectiveness into your copy better than their English equivalents could.
While there’s a good number of these phrases adapted into the English vernacular, these five represent some of the more common ones that you will likely find useful in your writing.
1. De facto
A latin word that means “actual” or “in practice,” you use it to denote an act, a behavior, a set of rules or similar concepts that are employed as the normal way of doing.
Examples: “de facto standard,” “de facto procedures”
2. Status Quo
A Latin term meaning “the current state of affairs,” it’s rare to come across a business, social science or economics book without this expression used at least once.
3. Vis-a-vis
A French term meaning “face to face,” it is employed in the English vernacular as a way of performing a comparison.
4. Per se
A Latin expression meaning “by itself,” it is used to highlight the specificity of an object.
Examples: “there is no guaranteed deal, per se”
5. Ad hoc
A Latin term that denotes something created or performed “for one specific purpose,” this is one of the most widely used foreign terms in the English language.
Examples: “ad hoc committee,” “ad hoc report”
