capitālis, e, adj. caput. Relating to or belonging to the head. In this signif. extant only in the subst. capital, a headdress of priests, Varr. L. L. 5, § 130 Mull.; but, capital linteum quoddam, quo in sacrificiis utebantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 48 ib.

— Transf. Relating to life, by which life is endangered, capital: periculum, peril of life, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 81; id. Rud. 2, 3, 19: caedis, id. Most. 2, 2, 44: morbus, endangering life, dangerous, Gell. 16, 13, 5.

— Esp. freq. as jurid. t. t. of those crimes which are punishable by death or by the loss of civil rights, capital, v. Dig. 21, 1, 23, § 2; 48, 1, 2: accusare aliquem rei capitalis, of a capital crime, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 28, § 68: qui in vinculis essent damnati rei capitalis, id. Sen. 12, 42: cui rei capitalis dies dicta sit, Liv. 3, 13, 4: reus rerum capitalium, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 39, § 95: manifesti rerum capitalium, Sall. C. 52 fin.: rerum capitalium condemnati, id. ib. 36, 2: damnati, Tac. A. 1, 21 fin.: in rerum capitalium quaestionibus, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 28, § 68: crimen, id. ib. 2, 5, 9, § 23; Tac. A. 3, 60: facinora, Cic. poet. N. D. 1, 6, 13; cf. flagitia, Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 5: maleficia, Dig. 48, 8, 18 pr.: judex rei capitalis, Quint. 7, 3, 33; Curt. 6, 8, 25; Cic. Dom. 30, 78: capitalium rerum vindices, Sall. C. 55 al.: fraudem admittere, Cic. Rab. Perd. 9, 26: causae, Quint. 8, 3, 14: judicia, id. 4, 1, 57: noxa, Liv. 3, 55, 5: poenā afficere aliquem, Suet. Caes. 48: condemnare, id. Dom. 14: animadversione punire, id. Aug. 24: supplicio incesta coercere, id. Dom. 8: capitale nullum exemplum vindictae, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 18: supplicium, Curt. 3, 2, 17: capitalis locus ubl si quid violatum. est, caput violatoris expiatur, Fest. p. 50: judicium trium virorum capitalium, who had charge of the prisons and of executions, Cic. Or. 46, 156; Liv. 39, 14, 10; 25, 1, 10; cf. id. 32, 26, 17; and the joke of Cic. Fam. 7, 13, 2.

—Also subst.: capital (postAug. sometimes capitāle, as also in poorer MSS. of earlier authors), plur. capitalia, a death (real or civil), banishment, etc., in consequence of crime: capital = facinus quod capitis poenā luitur, Fest. p. 37: capital κεφαλικὴ τιμωρία, Vet. Gloss. Capital facere, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 16; id. Merc. 3, 4, 26: scimus capital esse irascier, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 38, 17: quique non paruerit capital esto, Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 21; id. Inv. 2, 31, 96: praesidio decedere apud Romanos capital esse, Liv. 24, 37, 9 Gronov.; Mel. 1, 9, 7 Tzschuck; Curt. 8, 4, 17; 8, 9, 34; Quint. 9, 2, 67: degredi viā capital leges fecere, Plin. 12, 14, 32, § 63; 10, 23, 31, § 62; Just. 2, 7, 8; Suet. Calig. 24 Oud. and Wolf; Sil. 13, 155; cf. Front. 4, 6, 3 Oud.

— Capitale: capitale est obicere anteacta, Quint. 9, 2, 67; Tac. Agr. 2.

— Plur.: capitalia: capitalia vindicanto, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6: capitalia ausi plerique, Liv. 26, 40, 17; Suet. Tib. 58.

— Trop.: inimicus, a mortal enemy, Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 57: hostis, a deadly enemy, Cic. Cat. 2, 2, 3: adversarius, id. Fin. 4, 12, 31: odium, id. Lael. 1, 2: ira, Hor. S. 1, 7, 13: inimicitiae, Dig. 17, 1, 23, § 25: minae, Cod. 2, 20, 7: oratio, very pernicious, dangerous, Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73: capitalis et pestifer Antonii reditus, id. Phil. 4, 1, 3: totius autem injustitiae nulla capitalior quam eorum, etc., id. Off. 1, 13, 41: nulla capitalior pestis quam, etc., id. Sen. 12, 39.

— That is at the head, chief, first in something, pre-eminent, distinguished (rare): capitale vocamus Ingenium sollers (as we often use capital), Ov. F. 3, 839: Siculus ille (sc. Philistus) capitalis, creber, acutus, etc., a writer of the first rank, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 11 (13), 4: jocus, a capital joke, Treb. XXX. Tyrann. 10.

—Comp.: hoc autem erat capitalior, quod, etc., more important, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 70, § 170.

—Hence, adv.: capitāliter, mortally, capitally: lacessere, Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 4: odisse, mortally, Amm. 21, 16, 11.

—Esp., As judicial t. t., of punishments, capitally, so as to affect life or citizenship, Cod. Th. 3, 14, 1; Veg. Mil. 2, 22.