What is the meaning of lorem ipsum, and how is it used in graphic design and publishing? This article will explain how to use lorem ipsum text.
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Kevin
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March 19, 2022
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Have you ever seen a long passage of Latin text on something and wondered what it meant? This is called lorem ipsum text. Learn the meaning and usage of lorem ipsum below!
What Does the Word Lorem Ipsum Mean?
Lorem ipsum is a type of filler text that is used in the fields of graphic design, electronic typesetting, and publishing. This is used as the industry’s standard dummy text so that people can look at the text layout without being distracted by its contents.
Lorem ipsum text is a very useful tool for people who are in graphic design and similar fields. If someone wants a client to focus on the layout of a design of a web page, product label, or other design, they do not want any distractions.
For example, if there was real text on the layout of an advertisement, a client might be distracted by the text itself. While it is not the graphic designer’s job to write the text, the client may have preconceived notions about the design itself if they are judging the copy or verbiage that is used. Therefore, designers in different fields choose to use lorem ipsum text instead.
What Is the Origin of Lorem Ipsum?
According to Techopedia, this dummy text originated in de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum by Cicero. This 45 BC work has been used by printers and typographers since the 16th century or the 1500s. A scholar named Richard McClintock from Hampden-Sydney College rediscovered this text.
The term lorem ipsum itself originally comes from the phrase, “Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet.” This is a Latin phrase which is translated to English below:
| Latin | English |
| “Neque porro quisquam” | Nor is there anyone who can love or pursues |
| “est qui dolorem ipsum” | or desires to obtain pain of itself |
| “quia dolor sit amet” | because it is pain |
| “Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis” | But, occasionally, circumstances can occur in which toil and pain |
| “aut rerum necessitatibus” | can procure him some great pleasure |
What Is the Translation of the Lorem Ipsum Text?
The original lorem ipsum text is quite long and is used repeatedly in type design layouts. While the lorem ipsum text does have an exact translation in Latin, this type of filler text purposely does not make any sense so that readers do not get distracted by its meaning.
As you read the translation of the sentences in lorem ipsum text from Eprevodilac, you will notice that the sentences are quite nonsensical. This is purposeful. Usually, this text will not be split up as seen below but rather repeated in paragraphs.
| Latin | English |
| “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet” | The pain itself is the love of the pain |
| “consectetur adipiscing elit” | the main ecological problems |
| “sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua” | but I give this kind of time to fall down, so that some great pain and pain. |
| “Ut enim ad minim veniam” | In order that for the most part |
| “quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat” | any one of us can come to the exercise of any kind of employment except for to take advantage of the objectives from it |
| “Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit” | But the pain in the film itself is irure to condemn |
| “in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.” | in the pleasure it wants to escape from the pain of being clum but in pain none result. |
| “Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident” | They are the exceptions which the blinds yearn for |
| “sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.” | they do not see that they are the ones who abandon their responsibilities to the fault that is soothing the soul’s hardships. |
What Are Synonyms of Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem ipsum is a very specific term that is used to refer to placeholder text. If you are looking to describe another type of placeholder, you can reference this list of synonyms of placeholder from Power Thesaurus.
This list provides numerous other words for the word placeholder. How many of these synonyms of placeholder do you already know the definition of?
- agency
- agent
- attorney
- container
- delegate
- denotes
- deputy
- feints
- jane doe
- john doe
- joker
- jokers
- milepost
- modifiers
- officer
- official
- placeholder
- placeholders
- proctor
- procurator
- prosy
- proxies
- proxy
- public officer
- public official
- public servant
- replace
- replacement
- surrogate
- wildcard
What Are Antonyms of Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem ipsum is a type of dummy text. If you are trying to describe the actual text of something, you can use one of these synonyms of text from Power Thesaurus. All of these words describe specific types of text that might appear in a book, novel, essay, advertisement, and more!
Try using one of these words in place of the generic word “text” to improve the specificity of your speech and language.
- argument
- body
- book
- burden
- concern
- content
- contents
- context
- core
- document
- draft
- essence
- extract
- focus
- gist
- handbook
- idea
- issue
- letter
- line
- manual
- manuscript
- material
- matter
- meaning
- message
- motif
- note
- opinion
- passage
- point
- question
- quotation
- schoolbook
- script
- sentence
- statement
- story
- subject
- subject matter
- substance
- text
- textbook
- theme
- thesis
- thought
- thread
- thrust
- topic
- verse
- wording
- words
- writing
Conclusion
The term lorem ipsum refers to Latin dummy text that is used in the publishing and graphic design fields. This type of text is used in layouts so that a person will focus on the layout itself and not get distracted by what the text says.
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