Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

crīmen, ĭnis, n. [contr. for cernimen, from cerno, II. C.]; lit., a judicial decision, verdict, judgment; hence, transf., like the Gr. κρῖμα, of the subject of such a decision, and with partieular reference either to the accuser or to the accused.

  1. I. Subject., or with reference to the accuser, a charge, accusation, reproach; esp. when unfounded, a calumny, slander (very freq. in every period and species of composition): criminin’ me habuisse fidem? Plaut. Bacch. 4, 3, 15; cf. Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 13: hae litterae fidem Persei criminibus fecerunt, Liv. 40, 23, 9: cum respondero criminibus, Cic. Planc. 2, 4: se falsis criminibus circumventum, Sall. C. 34, 2; cf.: crimen falsum, Cic. Quint. 2, 8; Hor. C. 3, 7, 14: criminibus adversariorum in invidiam venire, Nep. Epam. 7, 3: sermones pleni criminum in Patres, Liv. 6, 14, 11: crimina et suspiciones, id. 40, 15, 3: tanti maleficii crimen probare te censes posse talibus viris, si, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 26, 72: sceleris maximi, id. Cael. 23, 56; cf. id. ib. 27, 65; id. Sull. 24, 8: istius conjurationis, id. ib. 4, 12: avaritiae, id. Verr. 2, 2, 78, § 192; 2, 5, 1, § 2: veneficii, Quint. 5, 7, 37: ubi est crimen quod reprehenditis? i. e. the point of the accusation, Cic. Sest. 38, 80 Halm ad loc.: quo enim illi crimine peccatoque perierunt? id. Cael. 30, 71: haec causa est omnium horum scelerum atque criminum, id. ib. 25, 61; so (approaching the signif. II. A. infra), id C. Norbano in nefario crimine atque in fraude capitali esse ponendum, id. de Or. 2, 48, 199 Sorof ad loc.: era in crimen veniet, Ter. Hec. 3, 1, 55 (era male audiet, Don.): quid? sciebas tibi crimini datum iri? would be made a reproach? Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 29, § 74; cf. Ov. M. 1, 766: crimen adferre, Cic. Rab. Post. 10, 27; cf.: crimen inferre, offerre, id. Lael. 18, 65: in quos crimen intendebatur, Liv. 9, 26, 11: esse in crimine, to stand charged with, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 45, § 100: propulsare, id. Sull. 4, 12: defendere, to repel, confute, id. ib.; Ov. M. 13, 303; and opp. obicere, Quint. 6, 3, 69: repellere, transferre, id. 4, 2, 26 et saep.
    Poet.: belli, pretexts (causae), Verg. A. 7, 339.
    1. * B. Meton. (abstr. pro concreto), an object of reproach or invective: perpetuae crimen posteritatis eris, Ov. Tr. 4, 9, 26.
  2. II. Object., or with reference to the accused, the fault complained of, a crime, fault, offence (freq., but rare in ante-Aug. prose).
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. Ingen.: foedati crimine turpi, Lucr. 3, 49: cum haec (causa) non in crimine aliquo, quod ille posset infitiari … consisteret, Cic. de Or. 1, 40, 182 Sorof ad loc.: crimen meum indicare, Liv. 40, 12, 10; 41, 25, 6: carendum non solum crimine turpitudinis, verum etiam suspicione, Quint. 2, 2, 14: cum quidam crimen ultro faterentur, Suet. Claud. 36: velut crimen taedas exosa jugales, Ov. M. 1, 483: non prodere vultu, id. ib. 2, 447: scire, id. ib. 2, 614: hoc si crimen erit, crimen amoris erit, Prop. 2 (3), 30, 24; cf.: tuum crimen erit, thy fault, id. 2 (3), 28, 2: crimina et innoxios discernere, Tac. A. 1, 55.
        Ovid in his Tristia very freq. calls the offence on account of which he was banished crimina or crimen, interchanging it with error, e. g. 1, 9, 64; 2, 3; 2, 207; 3, 5, 52; 3, 6, 26 al.
        1. b. Of inanim. objects: crimina brassicae sunt, animae gravitatem facere, etc., fault, defect, Plin. 20, 9, 35, § 91.
      2. 2. In partic., the crime of lewdness, adultery, Ov. M. 9, 24; Sil. 6, 634.
    2. B. Meton.
      1. 1. An object representing a crime: et rupit pictas, caelestia crimina, vestes, i. e. deorum adulteria, Ov. M. 6, 131; cf.: tum paries nullo crimine pictus erat, Prop. 2, 6, 34 (2, 5, 26 Bip.): impressā signat sua crimina gemmā, a letter containing her crime, Ov. M. 9, 566.
      2. 2. A cause of a crime, a criminal: se causam clamat crimenque caputque malorum, Verg. A. 12, 600; cf.: a pereant Baiae, crimen amoris, aquae, Prop. 1, 11, 30: Crimen et illa fuit … Myrrha, id. 3, 19 (4, 18), 15.