Lewis & Short

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vĕrēcundĭa, ae, f. [verecundus], the natural feeling of shame, by whatever cause produced, shamefacedness, bashfulness, shyness, coyness, modesty, etc.

  1. I. In gen. (class.; syn.: pudicitia, castitas, pudor).
    1. A. Absol.: nec vero tam metu poenāque terrentur, quae est constituta legibus, quam verecundiā, quam natura homini dedit quasi quendam vituperationis non injustae timorem, Cic. Rep. 5, 4, 6: homo solum animal natum pudoris ac verecundiae particeps, id. Fin. 4, 7, 18: scenicorum mos tantam habet veteri disciplina verecundiam, ut in scaenam sine subligaculo prodeat nemo, id. Off. 1, 35, 129; id. Rep. 4, 4, 4: magnam habet vim disciplina verecundiae, id. ib. 4, 6, 6: justitiae partes sunt non violare homines; verecundiae non offendere, id. Off. 1, 28, 99; cf. id. Lael. 22, 82: Caesar meam in rogando verecundiam objurgavit, id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 3, § 10: tironis, id. Att. 8, 6, 3: homo timidus, virginali verecundiā, id. Quint. 11, 39; so, virginalis, Suet. Vit. Pers.: fuit sponsa tua apud me eādem, quā apud parentis suos, verecundiā, Liv. 26, 50, 6: verecundia nostra adversus regem nobis obstat, id. 37, 54, 7: nova nupta verecundiā notabilis, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 78: verecundia oris, bashful redness, blushing, Suet. Dom. 18.
    2. B. With gen. obj.
          1. (α) With gen. rei: turpitudinis verecundia, dread of wrong-doing, Cic. Tusc. 5, 26, 74: negandi, id. Or. 71, 238; Quint. prooem. § 3: respondendi, id. 3, 5, 15: hujus sermonis, Liv. 26, 50, 4.
          2. (β) With gen. personae (not freq. till after the Aug. period): quando nec ordinis hujus ulla, nec reipublicae est verecundia, respect for, reverence, Liv. 4, 45, 8: parentis, vitrici, deorum, id. 39, 11, 2: ne auctorem ponam, verecundia ipsius facit, Quint. 6, 3, 64: majestatis magistratuum, Liv. 2, 36, 3: aetatis, id. 1, 6, 4; cf. id. 1, 3, 10: legum, id. 10, 13, 8.
            Transf.: quidam ita sunt receptae auctoritatis ac notae verecundiae, ut, etc., i. e. of known venerableness, Quint. 6, 3, 33.
  2. II. In partic., with an implication of censure.
      1. 1. Over-shyness, bashfulness, sheepishness, timidity (post-Aug.): verecundia vitium quidem sed amabile et quae virtutes facillime generetquae (verecundia) est timor quidam reducens animum ab iis, quae facienda suntOptima est autem emendatio verecundiae fiducia, Quint. 12, 5, 2 sq.: patronus timet cognoscentis verecundiam, id. 4, 1, 19: (vox) in metu et verecundiā contracta, id. 11, 3, 64.
      2. 2. A shame, disgrace: verecundiae erat equitem suo alienoque Marte pugnare, Liv. 3, 62, 9: verecundia Romanos tandem cepit, Saguntum sub hostium potestate esse, etc., a sense of shame, id. 24, 42, 9.