culpa (denotes guilt as the state of one who has to answer, by suffering punishment or making compensation, for any injury or crime; hence it supposes the power of calculating consequences, and therefore a rational being; opposed to casus or necessitas): noxia (denotes the stale of one who has caused any injury or damage; it can therefore be applied to whatever is capable of producing an effect; opposed to innocentia): noxa (according to Festus., after Sulp., Rufus, noxia = damnum, but, in poets and orators = culpa; noxa = peccatum or pro peccato poena. Cic. does not use noxa, but has noxiae = “wrongs,” “injuries”): scelus (wickedness; a malicious violation of the rights of others, the peace of society, etc.; often opposed to the more general and lighter culpa, as “guilt” to “fault;” Vid: examples below): causa: causa maleficii (the cause of the crime): meritum (desert, whether of good or evil; in the latter sense, Cic., Fam., 5, 9, non meo merito; so Caes., BG., 1, 14: Ov., Met., 8, 503, nunc merito moriere tuo). To be free from guilt, extra noxiam esse (not to have caused the injury); extra culpam esse (not to deserve blame or punishment); liberum esse a delicto (or -is); scelere liberatum esse (Cic.): though we are not indeed without fault, yet we stand acquitted of guilt, etsi aliqua culpa tenemur erroris humani, a scelere certe liberati sumus (Cic.): the guilt is mine, mea culpa est; is all my own, mea propria culpa est. His guilt is not greater than that of, etc., non iste majus scelus commisit, quam qui, etc. All imaginable guilt is summed up and comprehended in this crime, in hoc uno maleficio scelera omnia complexa esse videntur (Cic.). To be without guilt [Vid: GUITLESS]. Vid. CRIME, GUILTY.