Male parta male dilabuntur
“Ill-gotten gains are ill spent.”
Cicero, Philippics 2.65 (after Naevius)
What does “Male parta male dilabuntur” mean?
Male parta male dilabuntur translates as “Ill-gotten gains are ill spent.”
What is gained dishonestly is easily lost.
“Male parta male dilabuntur” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Male | badly, wrongly | adverb, here meaning “by wrongful means”; it qualifies parta |
| parta | things acquired, gains | neuter plural nominative (perfect passive participle) of pario, “I bring forth, acquire”; used as a noun, “the things acquired” |
| male | badly, in a bad way | adverb again; here it describes how the gains end up, “to ruin” |
| dilabuntur | slip away, are dissipated | third person plural present indicative passive (deponent-like sense) of dilabor, “I slip apart, melt away”; subject is parta |
How to pronounce “Male parta male dilabuntur”
The two pronunciations are almost identical. Classical says the i in dilabuntur as in “bit”, while Church Latin says it more like “bee”. Stress falls on the first syllable of male and parta, and on the third-to-last syllable of dilabuntur (bun).
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “things badly gained slip away badly”. The same adverb male appears twice, which gives the saying its neat, balanced sound and the English version its “ill-gotten, ill-spent” echo.
Cicero quotes the line in the Philippics, his speeches against Mark Antony, and he credits it to the early Roman poet Naevius. So the saying is older than Cicero, and our knowledge of it comes through him.
The thought has lived on as a proverb about dishonest wealth: money or advantage gained by cheating tends not to last. Today it is quoted in discussions of fraud, corruption and sudden fortunes that vanish.
How to use “Male parta male dilabuntur”
It suits a speech or essay on honesty, justice or corruption, and works as a pointed motto or caption for anyone who values earning things fairly. As a tattoo it is a blunt warning about easy gains, so it fits best for people who want a stern reminder.
- Latin
- Male parta male dilabuntur
- English
- Ill-gotten gains are ill spent.
- Source
- Cicero, Philippics 2.65 (after Naevius)
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Justice
Common mistakes
- Do not read the two male as meaning different things. Both are the same adverb “badly”, repeated on purpose for effect.
- parta is a plural form (“gains”). Changing it to a singular such as partum would also require changing the verb to dilabitur.
- The line is often credited to Cicero alone, but he is quoting Naevius, so “after Naevius” is the careful attribution.
- It is a statement about what usually happens, not a promise that every dishonest gain will be lost.
Questions about “Male parta male dilabuntur”
What does “Male parta male dilabuntur” mean literally?
Roughly “things badly acquired are badly dissipated”. The Latin repeats male (“badly”) to make the point that gains got by wrongful means are lost in the same way.
Who said “Male parta male dilabuntur”?
Cicero quotes it in his Philippics (2.65), and it comes from the earlier Roman poet Naevius. So it is best cited as Cicero, after Naevius.
How do you pronounce “Male parta male dilabuntur”?
In Classical Latin: MAH-leh PAR-tah MAH-leh dih-lah-BOON-toor. In Church Latin the only real change is a softer “dee” in the third word from the end.
Is “Male parta male dilabuntur” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes, it is an authentic, well-attested Latin line, and the grammar is sound as written. Keep it exactly as given, since changing the endings can break the agreement between parta and dilabuntur.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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