Legal term denoting derivation from an external source, as opposed to a person's self or mind-the latter of which is denoted by ab intra. Ab epistulis was originally the title of the secretarial office in the Roman Empire Regarding or pertaining to correspondence. ' from time immemorial,' 'since the beginning of time.' or 'from an infinitely remote time in the past') Sometimes used incorrectly to denote something, not from without time, but from a point within time, i.e. g., the universe, that was created from outside of time. Literally, 'from the everlasting,' 'from eternity,' or 'from outside of time.' Philosophically and theologically, it indicates something, e. practiced in a morally/ethically wrong way) cf. I.e., a right is still a right even if it is abused (e.g. The inference of a use from its abuse is not valid The phrase is distinct from reductio ad absurdum, which is usually a valid logical argument. appeal to ridicule) or that another assertion is false because it is absurd. Said of an argument either for a conclusion that rests on the alleged absurdity of an opponent's argument (cf. In everyday speech, it denotes something occurring or being known before the event. In philosophy, used to denote something is supposed without empirical evidence. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known or postulated before a proof has been carried out. Presupposed independent of experience the reverse of a posteriori. In philosophy, used to denote something known from experience. Used in mathematics and logic to denote something that is known after a proof has been carried out. 'From possibility to actuality' or 'from being possible to being actual'.īased on observation, i.

I.e., 'completely,' 'from tip to toe,' 'from head to toe.' Equally a capite ad calcem. I.e., 'even more so' or 'with even stronger reason.' Often used to lead from a less certain proposition to a more evident corollary. Thus, an argumentum a contrario ('argument from the contrary') is an argument or proof by contrast or direct opposite.

I.e., 'on the contrary' or ' au contraire'. I.e., 'from top to bottom,' 'all the way through,' or 'from head to toe.' See also a pedibus usque ad caput. I.e., 'from Heaven all the way to the center of the Earth.' In law, it may refer to the proprietary principle of cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos ('whosesoever is the soil, it is his up to the sky and down to the depths '). I.e., 'at will' or 'at one's pleasure.' This phrase, and its Italian ( beneplacito) and Spanish ( beneplácito) derivatives, are synonymous with the more common ad libitum (at pleasure).įrom general to particular 'What holds for all X also holds for one particular X.' – argumentum a fortioriĪn inference from smaller to bigger what is forbidden at least is forbidden at more ('If riding a bicycle with two on it is forbidden, riding it with three on it is at least similarly punished'.)

Ab aeterno ad infinitum