ex libris

[ eks -lee-bris, lahy- ]

/ ɛks ˈli brɪs, ˈlaɪ- /

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from the library of (a phrase inscribed in or on a book before the name of the owner): Ex libris Jane Doe.

noun, plural ex li·bris

an inscription in or on a book, to indicate the owner; bookplate.

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Origin of ex libris

First recorded in 1875–80, ex libris is from Latin ex lībrīs “out of the books (of), from the books (of)”

Words nearby ex libris

exit strategy, exit tax, Ex-Lax, ex lege, ex lib., ex libris, Exmoor, ex more, Exmouth, ex new, ex nihilo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ex libris in a sentence

However, legal issues are only one of the things standing between an ex-prisoner and a job.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But almost to the man, the first thing every ex-con tells me is how hard it is to find work.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For Randy, a 50-year-old ex-Mormon gay man, this cure was a particularly bitter pill to swallow.
Your Husband Is Definitely Gay: TLC’s Painful Portrait of Mormonism|Samantha Allen|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
EURO was founded by David Duke, the ex-Klansman who ran for Louisiana governor in 1991.
Racists Melt Down Over Steve Scalise|Emily Shire|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

According to the friend, Brinsley rang his ex-girlfriend, an Air Force reservist named Shaneka Thompson, to no avail.
Alleged Cop Killer’s Blood-Soaked Screenplay|M.L. Nestel|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Ea & hreticorum repulit iniquitatem, & Nostros in nauim non iam vt hospites, sed vt magna ex parte Dominos, potentsq imposuit.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Ex quibus apparet, qum multa omnis generis perferenda fuerint.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Seqvitvr iam ex initio propositis tertium, nimirum vt exponatur, quonam tand loco rem Christianam his in locis offenderimus.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
He evinced the opposite of the temper usually ascribed to the “Shepherd-boy” —a birth-date by Ex.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)

British Dictionary definitions for ex libris

ex libris

/ (ɛks ˈliːbrɪs) /

adjective

from the collection or library of: frequently printed on bookplates

noun ex-libris

a bookplate bearing the owner's name, coat of arms, etc

Word Origin for ex libris

C19: from Latin, literally: from the books (of)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012