“E pluribus unum” is a Latin phrase that means “Out of many, one” or “One from many.”

What it literally means

  • e = “out of” or “from.”
  • pluribus = “many” (the plural/ablative form of plus = more).
  • unum = “one.”

Put together, it reads “out of many, one.”

Why it matters in the U.S.

  • It was chosen in the late 1700s when the United States was formed from 13 separate colonies.
  • It appears on the Great Seal of the United States and on many U.S. coins.
  • In modern use, it symbolizes the idea that many different states, peoples, and backgrounds make up a single nation.

Quick example

Imagine 13 separate pieces of a puzzle (the colonies) that click together to show one picture (a new country). “E pluribus unum” is the slogan that says: all those pieces now form one whole.

TL;DR: “E pluribus unum” = “Out of many, one,” the historic motto of the U.S. expressing many parts united as one nation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.