in articulo mortis

UK/ˌɪnɑːˌtɪkjʊləʊˈmɔːtɪs/

adverb

At the moment of death. (In law, especially canon, or church, law, this expression can mean that someone has been given special permission by a competent authority to enter an organization or to receive some sort of exemption or permission at some point not long before they die, such as receiving diaconal or presbyteral ordination or entering religious profession.)

Similar
in the article of death
OriginLatin in articulō mortis →
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Meanings

adverbin articulo mortis (not comparable)
  1. not comparableAt the moment of death. (In law, especially canon, or church, law, this expression can mean that someone has been given special permission by a competent authority to enter an organization or to receive some sort of exemption or permission at some point not long before they die, such as receiving diaconal or presbyteral ordination or entering religious profession.)
    1 more example

    My attention, for the last three years, had been repeatedly drawn to the subject of Mesmerism; and, about nine months ago, it occurred to me, quite suddenly, that in the series of experiments made hitherto, there had been a very remarkable and most unaccountable omission: — no person had as yet been mesmerized in articulo mortis.

    1845, Edgar Allan Poe, The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

    Synonyms: in the article of death

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbAt the moment of death. (In law, especially canon, or church, law, this expression can mean that someone has been given special permission by a competent authority to enter an organization or to receive some sort of exemption or permission at some point not long before they die, such as receiving diaconal or presbyteral ordination or entering religious profession.)

Similar
in the article of death
Also see
in the article of death

Origin

  1. Latinin articulō mortis
  2. Englishin articulo mortis

Borrowed from Latin in articulō mortis (literally “in the article of death”), from in (“during; at”, preposition governing the ablative) + articulō, ablative singular form of articulus (“a joint; figuratively: a point in time, a moment”) + mortis, genitive singular of mors (“death”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech v okamžik u smrti
  • v okamžik u smrtiat the moment of death
Finnish kuolinhetkellä
  • kuolinhetkelläat the moment of death
French à l'article de la mort
  • à l'article de la mortat the moment of death
Polish w obliczu śmierci
  • w obliczu śmierciat the moment of death
Cite this entry
APA

in articulo mortis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20articulo%20mortis

MLA

“in articulo mortis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20articulo%20mortis. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in articulo mortis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20articulo%20mortis.

Source: in articulo mortis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.