# 81 Inter Se vs Inter Alia: One Gets the Fame, One Does the Work

WORD OF THE DAY

Inter Se: The Twin Phrase Inter Alia Never Told You About

Everyone and their legal pad knows inter alia, the “among other things” that turns up in almost every agreement, pleading, and judgment. But its lesser-known twin, inter se, has been quietly doing excellent work in the background, and it’s time it got some credit.

Both are Latin. Both sound impressive. They do very different jobs.

YOUR CHEAT CODE
Alia → other things
Se → themselves

What does inter se mean?

Inter se means “among themselves” or “between themselves.” It describes something that exists between or among the persons concerned: their rights, obligations, disputes, claims, liabilities, or relationship.

The partners have certain rights inter se.

Translation: the partners have certain rights among themselves.

It is especially handy for separating how the parties deal with each other from how they deal with third parties:

The arrangement is binding on the parties inter se, but shall not affect the rights of third parties.

Inter se draws a neat little circle around the parties and says, “This stays in the family.”

What does inter alia mean?

Inter alia means “among other things.” It flags that one matter is being singled out of several. That matter might be a provision, ground, allegation, argument, finding, reason, or duty. It is not picky.

The agreement provides, inter alia, for termination of the contract.

Termination is one of many things the agreement covers. It just happens to be the one we are mentioning.

And no, inter alia is not limited to sections and clauses:

The petitioner contended, inter alia, that the order was arbitrary.

No section. No clause. Just one of several contentions, politely highlighted.

Both phrases, one partnership

Picture three partners: A, B and C.

The partnership agreement provides, inter alia, that A, B and C shall share the profits equally.

Inter alia = “among other things.” Profit-sharing is one of several matters the agreement deals with.

A, B and C shall resolve their disputes inter se.

Inter se = “among themselves.” These disputes are strictly a partners-only affair.

Side-by-side showdown

Phrase	Usually relates to	Think of it as	Example
Inter alia	Matters, provisions, grounds, allegations, arguments	Among other things	The agreement provides, inter alia, for termination of the contract.
Inter se	Persons and their dealings, rights, obligations, relationships	Among themselves	The partners shall settle their disputes inter se.

The shortcut (and its fine print)

A tempting memory trick is inter alia → things and inter se → parties. Not bad, but it needs a footnote:

• “Inter alia = sections or clauses”? Too narrow. Grounds, allegations, arguments, findings, reasons, and duties all qualify.
• “Inter se = parties”? A simplification. The phrase points not at the parties but at what exists between them: rights, obligations, claims, liabilities, disputes.

Two Latin phrases, two distinct jobs, and a lot less confusion the next time they show up in a judgment, contract, or pleading.

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Keep learning. Every word you understand strengthens your legal voice.

...Anpama Singh

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Anupama Singh | Legal Blogger | Lawyer Lingo

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