idem

pronoun

ˈī-ˌdem How to pronounce idem (audio) ˈē- How to pronounce idem (audio)
ˈi-
: the same as something previously mentioned
—used chiefly in bibliographies

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, same — more at identity

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of idem was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near idem

ideist

idem

idempotent

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Idem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idem. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Legal Definition

idem

pronoun
ˈī-dəm, ˈē-dem How to pronounce idem (audio)
: something previously mentioned : the same authority
—used in citations to cases and other works to refer to an immediately preceding reference compare infra, supra

Note: Idem is usually used in the form of its abbreviation id.

Etymology

Latin, same

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Weird Words for Autumn Time

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
petit-fours
Name That Dessert! Hope you’ve saved room for some sweet vocabulary.