IPSO

Ipso is a Latin term that appears in English mainly through traditional phrases and scholarly usage. It is the ablative singular form of the intensive pronoun ipse, which means “self” or “itself,” and functions as an intensifier in Latin grammar.

In English, ipso is most familiar from set phrases borrowed from Latin. The best-known is ipso facto, meaning “by the fact itself,” used to indicate that an outcome follows automatically from a given fact. Another common expression is ipso iure, meaning “by right itself,” used to denote something that is true by law or principle. These phrases are frequently encountered in legal, philosophical, and academic writing.

Modern usage of ipso is largely confined to scholarly or formal contexts where Latin terminology persists. It does not designate a single concept or entity in contemporary English, and outside of fixed phrases it is rarely used as a standalone word. The term may also appear in ecclesiastical or classical Latin contexts, where it forms part of longer expressions.

In addition to its linguistic function, the uppercase form IPSO appears as an acronym in organization names, such as the Independent Press Standards Organisation in the United Kingdom. This acronym is unrelated to the Latin term and represents a separate domain of usage.

Overall, ipso serves as a historical and linguistic feature of Latin that survives primarily in fixed phrases. Its role in English is limited to these expressions and to scholarly discussion, rather than as a common vocabulary item.