Meaning & use
ex libris
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseformal
A Latin phrase written in a book, usually before the owner's name, meaning that the book belongs to that person's library.
Grammar: Followed by the owner's name: Ex libris Jane Doe.
Patterns
- ex libris someone
Inside the cover, he had written Ex libris Samuel Hart.
The old novel carried an ex libris in elegant script.
Many collectors use an ex libris to mark their books.
nouncountablespecialist
A small printed label or stamp placed inside a book to show who owns it; a bookplate.
Grammar: Count noun; plural is ex libris or ex libris labels.
Patterns
- an ex libris for someone
She ordered a custom ex libris with an owl drawn on it.
The museum displays rare ex libris designed by famous artists.
Common combinations
- ex libris label
- He glued an ex libris label inside every book.
- ex libris stamp
- The librarian found an ex libris stamp on the title page.
- ex libris collection
- The university holds a large ex libris collection.
- design an ex libris
- The artist was asked to design an ex libris for the library.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bookplate
- Bookplate is the everyday English word, while ex libris sounds scholarly and may also mean the Latin inscription itself.
- inscription
- Inscription is any writing placed on an object, with no link to book ownership.
- label
- Label is a general word for any tag, not specifically one for a book's owner.
Word family
Commonly confused: ex libris or ex libris?
ex libris vs ex libris
Do not confuse it with 'ex-library', which describes a book that was once owned by a library and then sold.
Practice
What does the phrase 'ex libris' on a book's first page usually tell you?
Choose one answer.
Ex libris means 'from the books of', so it shows the owner. It does not identify the publisher or date.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ex libris”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.