culpa, ae, f. [kindr. in root with scelus; cf. Sanscr. skhal-, errare], crime, fault, blame, failure, defect (as a state worthy of punishment; on the contr. delictum, peccatum, etc., as punishable acts; diff. from scelus, which implies an intentional injury of others; but culpa includes in it an error in judgment).
I Prop.
A In gen. (very freq. in every period and species of composition): delictum suum Suamque ut culpam expetere in mortalem sinat, Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 33; cf.: non C. Rabirium culpa delicti, non invidia vitae ... in discrimen capitis vocaverunt, Cic. Rab. Perd. 1, 2: in hoc uno genere omnis inesse culpas istius maximas avaritiae, majestatis, dementiae, libidinis, crudelitatis, id. Verr. 2, 5, 17, § 42: et culpam in facto, non scelus esse meo, Ov. Tr. 4, 1, 24 et saep.: quicquid hujus factum'st culpa, non factum'st mea, Ter. Eun. 980: is quidem In culpā non est, to blame, in fault , id. Hec. 700; cf. id. ib. 299: praesidio ad eorum, qui in culpā essent, timorem uti, Cic. Fam. 15, 2, 7: malo Tironis verecundiam in culpā esse, quam inliberalitatem Curii, id. Att. 8, 6, 3; id. Planc. 4, 10; cf.: ut jam sit in iis culpa, qui, etc., id. Fam. 1, 9, 13: tua culpa nonnulla est, you are somewhat to blame, not without fault , id. ib. 3, 8, 6: sed haec mea culpa est, id. Brut. 35, 133: ne penes ipsos culpa esset cladis, Liv. 5, 36, 10: penes Aetolos culpam belli esse, id. 35, 33, 3; Sen. Ben. 7, 18, 2; Plin. Ep. 10, 30 (39), 2: culpa, quae te est penes, Ter. Hec. 535: culpa abest ab aliquo, Quint. 11, 1, 64: aliquem extra culpam belli esse judicare, Liv. 8, 19, 10: in mutum confers culpam, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 55: conferre in aliquem, Ter. Eun. 387; Caes. B. G. 4, 27; Cic. Sen. 5, 14 al.; cf.: culpam transferre in aliquem, Ter. And. 379; Cic. Att. 15, 28; id. Font. 8, 18: suam quisque culpam auctores ad negotia transferunt, Sall. J. 1, 4: contrahere culpam, Cic. Att. 11, 24, 1: culpam non modo derivare in aliquem, sed communicare cum altero, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 20, § 49: in culpā ponere aliquem, id. Clu. 45, 127: indecorant bene nata (pectora) culpae, Hor. C. 4, 4, 36; 4, 15, 11: seraque fata, Quae manent culpas etiam sub Orco, id. ib. 3, 11, 29; Ap. Dogm. Plat. 2, p. 28, 5; Arn. 1, p. 27.—
B In partic.
1 The crime of unchastity, a faux pas (cf. crimen, II. A. 2.), Ov. M. 2, 37 et saep.; Verg. A. 4, 19; 4, 172; Hor. C. 3, 27, 38; 3, 6, 17; Tac. A. 3, 24 et saep.—
2 Mostly in jurid. Lat., the fault of remissness, neglect , Dig. 17, 2, 72; 18, 1, 68; 42, 5, 8, § 3: nec sum facturus (rem) vitio culpāve minorem, Hor. S. 2, 6, 6.—
II Meton., any thing mischievous or injurious, mischief : continuo culpam (sc. ovem aegram) ferro compesce, Verg. G. 3, 468: sedula (i. e. meretrix), Prop. 4 (5), 5, 20.—
B Of things, a fault, defect : operum et laudes et culpae, Vitr. 3, 1, 4.