Stultorum infinitus est numerus
“The number of fools is infinite.”
Vulgate Bible, Ecclesiastes 1:15
What does “Stultorum infinitus est numerus” mean?
Stultorum infinitus est numerus translates as “The number of fools is infinite.”
Foolishness is everywhere – a wry remark on human nature.
“Stultorum infinitus est numerus” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Stultorum | of fools | genitive plural of stultus, “foolish, a fool”; depends on numerus (“the number of fools”) |
| infinitus | infinite, without limit | nominative singular masculine of infinitus (from in- “not” + finitus “limited”); agrees with numerus |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| numerus | number | nominative singular masculine of numerus; the subject of the sentence |
How to pronounce “Stultorum infinitus est numerus”
Both pronunciations sound the same here. Stultorum and infinitus are stressed on the syllable before the last, which has a long vowel; numerus is stressed on its first syllable.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “of fools infinite is the number”. The Latin puts “of fools” first for emphasis, which gives the remark its dry, resigned tone.
The line is from Ecclesiastes 1:15 in the Latin Vulgate, Jerome’s translation of the late fourth and early fifth centuries. The full verse reads perversi difficile corriguntur et stultorum infinitus est numerus, “the perverse are hard to correct, and the number of fools is infinite”; translations made from the Hebrew read differently, for example “what is lacking cannot be counted”.
The saying travelled widely as a stand-alone proverb. It was often quoted in the reordered form “infinitus est numerus stultorum”, and it is also well known from Erasmus’s Praise of Folly, where the idea of universal folly is a central theme.
How to use “Stultorum infinitus est numerus”
A good fit for a dry caption about human nature, a card for a friend who shares your cynicism, or a witty desk motto. As a tattoo it is better suited to someone who enjoys irony than to a serious tribute.
- Latin
- Stultorum infinitus est numerus
- English
- The number of fools is infinite.
- Source
- Vulgate Bible, Ecclesiastes 1:15
- Era
- Late Antiquity
- Theme
- Humor
Common mistakes
- The Latin is a statement, not an insult aimed at one person; it describes fools in general and does not mean “you are a fool”.
- The Vulgate verse is longer. The standard text also includes the clause about the perverse being hard to correct, so the short line is an extract, not the whole verse.
- The word order is often flipped to “infinitus est numerus stultorum”. Both orders mean the same, but the order given here is the Vulgate’s.
- English Bibles translated from the Hebrew do not have this sentence at 1:15, so cite it as the Vulgate text.
Questions about “Stultorum infinitus est numerus”
What does “Stultorum infinitus est numerus” mean literally?
“Of fools infinite is the number”, which in natural English is “The number of fools is infinite.”
Where does “Stultorum infinitus est numerus” come from?
Ecclesiastes 1:15 in the Latin Vulgate, where it is the second half of the verse perversi difficile corriguntur et stultorum infinitus est numerus.
How do you pronounce “Stultorum infinitus est numerus”?
Classical and church Latin sound the same here: stool-TOH-room in-fee-NEE-toos est NOO-meh-roos.
Is “infinitus est numerus stultorum” the same quote?
Yes. It is the same sentence with the words reordered, and it is the form many later writers quoted.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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