Idem Facts for Kids

Idem is a Latin word that simply means "the same." You'll often see it shortened to id.. This abbreviation is super handy in writing, especially when you want to refer to something you just mentioned without repeating yourself.

For example, if you're writing a report and you keep using the same book as a source, you can use id. to show that the information comes from that same book. It's a bit like saying "ditto!"

Id. is used for things that are masculine or neutral. If you're talking about something feminine, the Latin word is eadem, which is shortened to ead. Both mean "the same."

When you see Id. as an abbreviation, it always has a period (or full stop) after it. People have been using this handy word since the 1300s!

How We Use Id.
- In Legal Writing
- In School and Academic Papers
See also

How We Use Id.

Id. helps writers save space and make their text clearer by avoiding repetition. Let's look at a couple of places where it's commonly used.

In Legal Writing

In legal documents, id. is often used to refer to a source that was just mentioned. Imagine you're reading about a court case, and the writer keeps quoting from the same document. Instead of writing the full name of the document every time, they can use id..

Here’s a simple example:

United States v. Martinez-Fuerte, 428 U.S. 543, 545 (1976).
Id. at 547.

In this example:

The first line mentions a specific court case called United States v. Martinez-Fuerte. It also tells you where to find it in a book of court cases (volume 428 of United States Reports, starting on page 543, with the specific quote on page 545). The year 1976 is when the case was published.
The second line, Id. at 547, means "the same case" (United States v. Martinez-Fuerte) but now referring to page 547 in that same book.

Id. always refers to the source that was just mentioned right before it. If it's not clear what id. refers to, then writers usually don't use it.

Here's another example from a legal document:

"...the Executive Order declares that “the United States must ensure that those admitted to this country do not bear hostile attitudes toward it and its founding principles.” Id. It asserts, “Deteriorating..." (from page 3 of State of Washington v. Donald J. Trump)

In this example, the Id. refers to the "Executive Order" that was mentioned in the sentence just before it. An Executive Order is a special rule or command given by the President of the United States.

In School and Academic Papers

When you're writing a research paper for school, id. can also be used to show that the author of a source is the same as the author you just cited.

Look at this example:

Macgillivray, J. A. Minotaur: Sir Arthur Evans and the Archaeology of the Minoan Myth. New York: Hill & Wang, 2000.
Id. Astral Labyrinth: Archaeology of the Greek Sky. Sutton Pub, 2003.

In this example:

The first line tells you about a book called Minotaur written by J. A. Macgillivray.
The second line starts with Id.. This means the author of the second book, Astral Labyrinth, is also J. A. Macgillivray. It saves you from writing the author's name again!

Idem facts for kids

Contents

How We Use Id.

In Legal Writing

In School and Academic Papers

See also