cui bono

(kwē' bō'nō)
n.
Utility, advantage, or self-interest considered as the determinant of value or motivation.

[From Latin cui bonō (est), for whom (it is) of advantage : cui, dative of quī, who + bonō, dative of bonum, advantage.]

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(A maxim of Cassius, quoted by Cicero), For whose advantage? Generally used, however, as, What is the good of it?

A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

The faculty that distinguishes a weak animal or person from a strong one. It brings its possessor much mental satisfaction and great material adversity. An Italian proverb says: "The furrier gets the skins of more foxes than asses."

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For a list of words related to cui bono, see:

• Customs, Formalities, and Practices - cui bono: Latin. lit. to whose advantage; principle that probable responsibility for an act lies with one having something to gain by it
• Latin Words and Phrases - cui bono: to whose advantage?; legal principle that responsibility for act lies with one gaining by it

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