lorem ipsum

English

WOTD – 23 March 2008

A lorem ipsum placeholder text that was inadvertently published in The Straits Times, a Singapore newspaper, on 26 April 2014

Etymology

A Pseudo-Latinism, a clipping of dolōrem ipsum (“pain itself”) from Cicero's 45 B.C.E. De Fīnibus Bonōrum et Malōrum[1] adopted by the mid-1960s to assist with artistic text layout.[2]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌlɔː.ɹəm ˈɪp.səm/, /ˌlɒ.ɹəm ˈɪp.səm/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌlɔː.ɹəm ˈɪp.səm/, /ˌlɑː.ɹəm ˈɪp.səm/
Audio (GA) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Hyphenation: lo‧rem ip‧sum

Noun

lorem ipsum (countable and uncountable, plural lorem ipsums)

A dummy text used as a placeholder in printing and website design to simplify the layout process, especially the usual pseudo-Latin text beginning Lorem ipsum...
- 1999, Digit, London: IDG Communications, OCLC 222633495, page 29:
  It was Aldus PageMaker's adoption of Lorem Ipsum that allowed the practice to enter the electronic age […]
- 2002, Tom Green; Chris S. Flick; Jordan L. Chilcott, Building Web Sites with Macromedia Studio MX, Boston, Mass.: New Riders, →ISBN, page 171:
  The origin of Lorem Ipsum actually goes back to the early 1500s when typographers would create specimen books of their fonts.
- 2007, Steven Sande, Take Control of iWeb: iLife '06 Edition, Berkeley, Calif.: Peachpit Press, →ISBN, page 73:
  Triple-click the lorem ipsum of the text placeholder and begin typing your masterpiece.
- 2022 May 10, Alex Shephard, "With Roe, the GOP Is the Dog that Caught the Car", The New Republic:
  One ad... includes sample language: “‘Sarah Republican,’ making an ad against ‘John Democrat,’ should say, ‘Here’s my view—I am pro-life, but, in reality, forget about the political labels, all of us are in favor of life.’” That’s as close as political messaging comes to “lorem ipsum” filler text.

Hypernyms

Greek

Derived terms

lipsum

References

Cicero (45 B.C.E.) De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum [On the Ends of Good and Evil], 1.10.32:
Sed ut perspiciātis unde omnis iste nātus error sit voluptātem accūsantium dolōremque laudantium, tōtam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illō inventōre vēritātis et quasi architectō beātae vītae dicta sunt explicābō. Nēmō enim ipsam voluptātem quia voluptās sit āspernātur aut ōdit aut fugit, sed quia cōnsequuntur magnī dolōrēs eōs quī ratiōne voluptātem sequī nesciunt. Neque porrō quisquam est, quī dolōrem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, cōnsectētur, adipīscī velit, sed quia nōn numquam eius modī tempora incidunt ut labōre et dolōre magnam aliquam quaerat voluptātem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitātiōnem ūllam corporis suscipit labōriōsam, nisi ut aliquid ex eā commodī cōnsequātur? Quis autem vel eum iūre reprehenderit quī in eā voluptāte velit esse quam nihil molestiae cōnsequātur, vel illum quī dolōrem eum fugiat quō voluptās nūlla pariātur?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

[1] Cicero (45 B.C.E.) De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum [On the Ends of Good and Evil], 1.10.32:
Sed ut perspiciātis unde omnis iste nātus error sit voluptātem accūsantium dolōremque laudantium, tōtam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illō inventōre vēritātis et quasi architectō beātae vītae dicta sunt explicābō. Nēmō enim ipsam voluptātem quia voluptās sit āspernātur aut ōdit aut fugit, sed quia cōnsequuntur magnī dolōrēs eōs quī ratiōne voluptātem sequī nesciunt. Neque porrō quisquam est, quī dolōrem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, cōnsectētur, adipīscī velit, sed quia nōn numquam eius modī tempora incidunt ut labōre et dolōre magnam aliquam quaerat voluptātem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitātiōnem ūllam corporis suscipit labōriōsam, nisi ut aliquid ex eā commodī cōnsequātur? Quis autem vel eum iūre reprehenderit quī in eā voluptāte velit esse quam nihil molestiae cōnsequātur, vel illum quī dolōrem eum fugiat quō voluptās nūlla pariātur?

[2] Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.