Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo or Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re is a Latin phrase, meaning "Resolute in execution, gentle in manner".

It was coined by the Jesuit Claudio Acquaviva

Claudio Acquaviva

Claudio Acquaviva was an Italian Jesuit priest elected in 1581 the 5th Superior General of the Society of Jesus...

, who wrote in Industriae ad curandos animae morbos (Curing the illnesses of the soul, §2, 4) about interacting with others that one should not compromise in matter (i.e. Christian faith), but should present them in a gentle way, i.e. fortiter in re, suaviter in modo.

It is the motto of the Essendon Football Club

Essendon Football Club

The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

, the Estonian Students' Society

Estonian Students' Society

Estonian Students' Society is the largest and oldest all-male academical student society in Estonia, which is similar to Baltic German student corporations . It was founded in 1870 at the University of Tartu...

 and Concordia College (a secondary school in South Australia).