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According to the dictionary definitions, all these three items mean identical to me:

a. namely
b. i.e.
c. that is (to say)

They are used when one needs to give more details about something that has just been said.

To clarify my intention let's make a question.

  • I wonder how they following sentences differ semantically:
    1. The exam includes three subjects namely A, B and C.
    2. The exam includes three subjects i.e. A, B and C.
    3. The exam includes three subjects that is (to say) A, B and C.

To me, they all mean the same, but I would be appreciative if you could let me know about any possible nuances.

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  • You should post this question on this site.
    – Thomas Peng
    Commented Jan 16, 2022 at 1:46
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    I.e. (“id est”) literally means “that is”, and those expressions are usually used interchangeably. The Latin abbreviation generally corresponding to “namely” is “viz.” (“videlicet”). Both terms are similar, but they are not exactly the same.
    – MarcInManhattan
    Commented Jan 16, 2022 at 5:05

3 Answers 3

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Sentence 1. is correct and natural.

By the definition you've linked, "namely" means "you want to give more detail or be more exact about something you have just said".

In this case, "A, B and C" gives more detail about "three subjects".

Sentences 2. and 3. are incorrect, and for the same reason.

For sentence 2., by the definition that you've linked, "i.e." is used "before a piece of information that makes the meaning of something clearer or shows its true meaning". This is not the same as giving more detail or being more exact.

The information that comes after "i.e." should be another way of saying the same thing. From the example in your link:

For all churches decorous dress is required, i.e. no shorts, bare shoulders, etc.

Here, "no shorts, bare shoulders, etc." means the same thing as "decorous dress", but in a clearer way. There is no extra detail added -- it is simply defined.

Your example reworked to correctly use "i.e." could be:

The exam includes the three subjects we studied this year, i.e. A, B and C.

Here, "the three subjects we studied this year" means the same thing as "A, B and C".

"That's to say" has the exact same meaning as "i.e.", so Sentence 3. is wrong for identical reasons, and you can substitute it into any of the above sentences with the same result.

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  • Than you very much @gotube. Just could you please let me know whether by "The information that comes after "i.e." should be another way of saying the same thing" you meant that "i.e.", "in other words" and "that is(to say)" all mean exactly the same thing.
    – A-friend
    Commented Jan 17, 2022 at 17:02
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    @A-friend "i.e." translates from Latin as "that is", so they're literally identical. But although the phrase, "in other words" can be used in the same way, it is usually used to infer information that isn't part of the original statement: "She's not coming down for dinner? In other words, she's still angry at us."
    – gotube ♦
    Commented Jan 17, 2022 at 19:52
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  1. The exam includes three subjects, namely A, B and C.
    This is perfectly colloquial. The word "namely" introduces the labels.

  2. The exam includes three subjects. i.e. A, B and C.
    "i.e." is not used to introduce new information but to clarify, explain or rephrase something.
    For example: The cyclist told the policeman he was an idiot, i.e. the policeman.

  3. The exam includes three subjects. that is (to say), A, B and C.
    "that is (to say)" is the same as "i.e.", which is simply an abbreviation from the Latin "id est": "that is".

There is useful information about the use of i.e. and that is here and here

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"Namely" when you are naming or listing the thing or things. That works best in your context.

"That is" is used to introduce a clarification or explanation.

The exam contains three subjects, that is there are three different topics that will be assessed, but you won't get three papers.

"I.e" is a Latin phrase meaning "that is", and is used mostly in written English.

"That is to say" is merely a wordy form of "that is".

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