Iacta

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The die has been cast, indicating a point of no return in decision-making
2. A term signifying the commencement of an irreversible action or choice
3. A historical phrase used to express the initiation of an event that cannot be undone

Etymology: In 49 BCE, Julius Caesar led his army across the Rubicon river, which marked the boundary of his province and brought his forces into Italy in defiance of the Senate. According to the Roman biographer Suetonius, Caesar declared "iacta alea est," or "the die is cast," at that moment. Plutarch records a Greek version of the line, so the exact wording may have varied in the retelling, but the sense was clear: there was no turning back. "Iacta" is the feminine form of the perfect passive participle of the Latin verb "iacere," meaning "to throw." It agrees with "alea," "die" or "gambling die," which is feminine. The phrase is a participle construction, so "iacta est" means "has been thrown" and points to a completed action with lasting results.

Synonyms: throw, cast, toss