[kahr-pe dee-em; Eng. kahr-pee dahy-uh
m, kahr-pey dee-uhm] 
| Latin. seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future. |
| car·pe di·em (kär'pě dē'ěm', -əm, dī'-) interj. Used as an admonition to seize the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future. n. Such an admonition. [Latin : carpe, seize + diem, day.] |
Latin for “Seize the day”: take full advantage of present opportunities. This sentiment is found not only in classical literature but in much of English literature as well (see “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” and “Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, Lady, were no crime.”)
carpe diem
Enjoy the present and don't worry about the future, as in It's a beautiful day, so forget tomorrow's test
carpe diem! Latin for "seize the day," an aphorism found in the Roman writer Horace's Odes, this phrase has been used in English since the early 1800s.
carpe diem
phrase used by the Roman poet Horace to express the idea that one should enjoy life while one can. The sentiment has been expressed in many literatures, especially in 16th- and 17th-century English poetry. Two of the best-known examples are Robert Herrick's "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" and Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress."
Learn more about carpe diem with a free trial on Britannica.com.