Which Latin phrase appears on the Great Seal of the United States beneath the eagle?

The Latin phrase E pluribus unum appears on the Great Seal of the United States beneath the eagle.

The phrase means “Out of many, one.” On the seal’s obverse, it is written on a scroll held in the bald eagle’s beak. The words express the idea of unity emerging from the separate states and were especially suited to a republic formed from multiple colonies and political communities.

The motto was approved by the Congress of the Confederation in 1782 as part of the Great Seal’s design. Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, incorporated the phrase along with thirteen stars, thirteen arrows, and an olive branch. The repeated use of thirteen connected the seal to the original states.

E pluribus unum is often confused with the other Latin phrases on the seal’s reverse. Annuit cœptis appears above the unfinished pyramid, while Novus ordo seclorum appears below it. Congress adopted “In God We Trust” as the official national motto in 1956, but E pluribus unum remains a traditional national motto and continues to appear on official symbols and currency.