Motto
A short phrase adopted by a person, family, or institution as an expression of guiding principle.
A motto is a short formula — usually a phrase, occasionally a sentence — chosen by a person, family, order, school, city, or country as a compact statement of the values they claim to live by. The word comes from the Italian motto, 'a word', and originally referred to the words attached to a coat of arms, later to the phrase attached to any identity.
Mottoes have three characteristic features: brevity, declared ownership, and reuse. A motto is meant to be repeated — carved into a building, embroidered on a banner, printed under a logo — so it must be memorable at a glance. The Royal Society's 'Nullius in verba' ('Take nobody's word for it') is a working example: three Latin words, one epistemic stance, endlessly reprintable.
Mottoes differ from slogans in intent. A slogan sells; a motto commits. A slogan can be changed for the next campaign; a motto is expected to outlive the person or institution that adopts it. This is why serious institutions still choose theirs carefully, and why individuals who adopt a personal motto often live with it for decades.
Common mistake: choosing a motto that flatters rather than binds. A motto that describes what you already believe about yourself is decorative. A motto that names a discipline you must return to when tempted otherwise is functional. The second kind is the one worth carving.
“Nullius in verba.”
Keep reading the glossary
A short, catchy phrase designed to be remembered and repeated in the service of a cause, brand, or campaign.
A short phrase, usually attached to a brand or work, that sits under the name to condense its promise.
A short rule for conduct, usually stated as a general principle.
A personal or institutional statement of belief — the 'I believe' quotation.