Contritionem praecedit superbia
“Pride goes before destruction.”
Vulgate Bible, Proverbs 16:18
What does “Contritionem praecedit superbia” mean?
Contritionem praecedit superbia translates as “Pride goes before destruction.”
Arrogance usually comes just before a fall.
“Contritionem praecedit superbia” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Contritionem | destruction, crushing, breaking | accusative singular of contritio, “a crushing, a breaking”; object of the verb praecedit |
| praecedit | goes before, precedes | third person singular present indicative active of praecedo, “I go before” (from prae, “before”, and cedo, “I go”) |
| superbia | pride | nominative singular of superbia, “pride, arrogance”; subject of the sentence |
How to pronounce “Contritionem praecedit superbia”
The two pronunciations differ in the ti of contritionem (tee or tsee), the c in praecedit (k or ch) and the ae (eye-like or eh). Stress falls on the third syllable of contritionem, the second of praecedit and the second of superbia.
The story behind it
Word for word the line reads “destruction goes before pride” in the order of the words, but the grammar shows the opposite: contritionem is the object and superbia the subject, so it means “pride goes before destruction”. Latin word order is flexible, and here the object is placed first for emphasis.
The words come from the Latin Vulgate, the Bible translation made largely by Jerome around 400 AD, where they stand at Proverbs 16:18. The verse continues: “et ante ruinam exaltatur spiritus”, roughly “and a haughty spirit before a fall”.
In English the thought is best known as “Pride goes before a fall”, a proverb that echoes this verse. The Latin version is used as a motto and as a warning against overconfidence.
How to use “Contritionem praecedit superbia”
Suits a motto about humility, a caption for a story of overconfidence, a speech or essay on arrogance and downfall, or a tattoo for someone who wants a reminder to stay grounded.
- Latin
- Contritionem praecedit superbia
- English
- Pride goes before destruction.
- Source
- Vulgate Bible, Proverbs 16:18
- Era
- Late Antiquity
- Theme
- Character
Common mistakes
- The word order is misleading: contritionem is not the subject. Pride does the going before, destruction is what follows.
- Contritionem is accusative; do not change it to contritio or the sentence loses its grammar.
- Do not attribute it to a classical Roman author. It comes from the Vulgate Bible, not from Cicero or Seneca.
- Quoting only the first half is normal, but the full verse adds “a haughty spirit before a fall”, so do not claim the short form is the whole verse.
Questions about “Contritionem praecedit superbia”
What does “Contritionem praecedit superbia” mean literally?
Literally “destruction pride goes before”, which in normal English order is “pride goes before destruction”. The object comes first for emphasis.
Where does “Contritionem praecedit superbia” come from?
It is from the Latin Vulgate Bible, Proverbs 16:18, the translation of the Hebrew text made by Jerome in late antiquity.
How do you pronounce “Contritionem praecedit superbia”?
In Classical Latin: kon-tree-tee-OH-nem prai-KEH-dit soo-PER-bee-ah. In the Church style: kon-tree-tsee-OH-nem preh-CHEH-dit soo-PER-bee-ah.
Is “Contritionem praecedit superbia” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is a genuine Latin sentence taken from the Vulgate and is grammatically correct as it stands.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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