ipsissima verba
Americanadverb
noun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of ipsissima verba
First recorded in 1800–10; from Latin ipsissima, neuter plural of ipsissimus “the very same” (superlative of ipse “oneself, the very one”) + verba, plural of verbum “word”; cf. ipso facto ( def. ), verbal ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We have the ipsissima verba, the exact words of Jesus.
From Time Magazine Archive
These are the ipsissima verba of one who, in every other relation of life, is exceptionally kind and genial.
From Through East Anglia in a Motor Car by Vincent, J. E. (James Edmund)
And to me, the pleasure is doubled by the reflection that it is extremely probable that we have the actual terms, the ipsissima verba, used by Christ.
From De Profundis by Wilde, Oscar
It is difficult to convey the peculiar intonation of the Worcestershire villager's voice, and the ipsissima verba I have given in my anecdotes lose a good deal in reading by anyone unacquainted with their method.
From Grain and Chaff from an English Manor by Savory, Arthur H.
I have since referred to, and here quote, the ipsissima verba.
From The Eclipse of Faith Or, A Visit To A Religious Sceptic by Rogers, Henry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
