Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci
“It is glorious to forget injuries.”
Latin proverb
What does “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci” mean?
Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci translates as “It is glorious to forget injuries.”
Letting go of wrongs done to you is a sign of greatness, not weakness. Forgiveness frees the one who forgives as much as the one forgiven.
“Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Gloriosum | glorious, a source of glory | neuter nominative singular of gloriosus, “glorious”; neuter because it stands for the whole idea (“to forget…”) and agrees with est |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
| iniurias | injuries, wrongs | accusative plural feminine of iniuria, “wrong, injury”; direct object of oblivisci |
| oblivisci | to forget | present infinitive of obliviscor, “I forget” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning); takes the accusative here |
How to pronounce “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci”
The two differ only in oblivisci: Classical has a hard w and k sound (ob-lee-WEE-skee), Church Latin has v and sh (ob-lee-VEE-shee). The stress falls on -OH- in gloriosum, on -YOO- in iniurias and on -WEE-/-VEE- in oblivisci.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “glorious it is, wrongs to forget”. The infinitive oblivisci (“to forget”) is the subject, so the sense is “forgetting wrongs is glorious”.
It is a proverb with no known author. It reflects an ideal that Roman moralists praised often, magnanimity: the strong person does not nurse grudges. Cicero and Seneca both admire generosity of spirit toward those who have wronged us.
Today the line turns up on reconciliation cards, in journals and in talks on forgiveness. It frames letting go as a mark of strength rather than weakness.
How to use “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci”
Fits a reconciliation or apology card, a journal page about moving on, or a quiet personal motto on forgiveness. It also works as a short quote in an essay on magnanimity or restraint.
- Latin
- Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci
- English
- It is glorious to forget injuries.
- Source
- Latin proverb
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Forgiveness
Common mistakes
- The verb is oblivisci (“to forget”), not obliviscere or oblivio. Oblivio is the noun “forgetfulness”.
- Iniurias means “wrongs, injuries done to you”, not physical injuries only. It carries the idea of injustice.
- Gloriosum is neuter singular. Do not change it to gloriosa or gloriosi to match iniurias, because it agrees with the idea of forgetting, not with the noun.
- It is a proverb of unknown origin. Do not credit it to Cicero or Seneca.
Questions about “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci”
What does “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci” mean literally?
Literally “glorious it is to forget injuries”. The idea is that letting go of wrongs done to you is honourable and a sign of a great spirit.
Who said “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci”?
It is a Latin proverb with no known author. It matches the thinking of Roman moralists on magnanimity, but it should not be attributed to a named writer.
How do you pronounce “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci”?
In Classical Latin: gloh-ree-OH-soom est in-YOO-ree-ahs ob-lee-WEE-skee. In Church Latin the last word becomes ob-lee-VEE-shee.
Is “Gloriosum est iniurias oblivisci” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is a complete, grammatical sentence and the wording is standard. Keep the word order and endings exactly as written if you use it.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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