malum in se
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
What is of itself wrong, and would be so even if no law existed against its commission, as lying, murder, theft.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “malum in se” mean?
What is of itself wrong, and would be so even if no law existed against its commission, as lying, murder, theft.
Is “malum in se” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.