ex nihilo nihil fit

phrase

Nothing comes from nothing; out of nothing, nothing is produced.

OriginLatin ex nihilō nihil fit →
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Meanings

phrase

alternative ex nihilo nihil

  1. Nothing comes from nothing; out of nothing, nothing is produced.

Origin

  1. Latinex nihilō nihil fit
  2. Englishex nihilo nihil fit

Learned borrowing from Latin ex nihilō nihil fit (literally “out of nothing is made nothing”), from De rerum natura by Lucretius.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ex nihilo nihil fit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20nihilo%20nihil%20fit

MLA

“ex nihilo nihil fit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20nihilo%20nihil%20fit. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ex nihilo nihil fit,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20nihilo%20nihil%20fit.

Source: ex nihilo nihil fit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.