immeritus

immĕrĭtus ( inm- ), a, um, adj. [inmeritus], undeserved (in the adj. mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).

I.

Act., that has not deserved something, undeserving, guiltless, innocent:

delicta majorum immeritus lues, Romane,

Hor. C. 3, 6, 1;

so of persons,

id. ib. 1, 28, 30; Ov. Tr. 2, 274; Quint. 6 praef. § 4; cf.

gens,

Verg. A. 3, 2:

urbes,

Ov. M. 12, 550:

agni,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 211:

locus,

id. Ep. 1, 14, 12:

paries,

id. S. 2, 3, 7:

vestis,

id. C. 1, 17, 28:

arbor,

Prop. 4 (5), 3, 19:

ungues,

id. 2, 4, 3 (13).—With inf.:

virtus recludens immeritis mori Caelum,

Hor. C. 3, 2, 21.— Subst.: inmĕrĭ-tum, i, n., the absence of guilt or desert:

cur tu, obsecro, immerito meo me morti dedere optas?

for no fault of mine, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 18; id. Men. 2, 3, 25.—

II.

Pass., that is not deserved, undeserved, unmerited (much less freq.):

laudibus haud immeritis onerare aliquem,

Liv. 4, 13 fin.:

credulus immerita Phasida juvit ope,

Ov. F. 2, 42:

opes,

Mart. 7, 32, 6:

querelae,

Val. Fl. 8, 158.—Hence, adv.: immĕrĭto ( inm- ), undeservedly, unjustly, without cause (esp. freq. with a negative):

jam dudum te omnes nos accusare audio Immerito, et me omnium horunc immeritissimo,

Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 60: si praeter opinionem, si immerito, si misera, si ingrata, etc., * Cic. de Or. 2, 79, 322:

haud equidem immerito Cumanae carmine vatis Cautum,

Luc. 8, 824:

ut eos non immerito probaverit sanctissimus censor,

with perfect justice, justly, Quint. 4 praef. § 3; so,

non immerito,

id. 8, 6, 62; 9, 1, 12; 9, 4, 35; 10, 1, 116; Suet. Caes. 55; id. Calig. 10; 51; id. Ner. 13:

neque immerito,

Ter. Ad. 4, 4, 8; Quint. 7 praef. § 2; 7, 7, 1; 10, 1, 27; 11, 2, 1;

12, 10, 75: nec immerito,

id. 2, 8, 1; Sen. Ep. 11 fin.