I. ˈgilt noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English gilt, gult, from Old English gylt
1. obsolete
a. : delinquency or failure in respect to one's duty : offense , trespass
b. : responsibility for an offense : fault
c. : state of deserving punishment : deserts
2. : the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty ; broadly : guilty conduct
a life of guilt and shame
3.
a. : the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously : culpability
his guilt was written in his face
b. : feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : morbid self-reproach often manifest in marked preoccupation with the moral correctness of one's behavior : self-accusation
aggressive responses originating in inner guilt and uncertainty
4. : the state of being liable to penalty for offense against law — used in respect to persons and sometimes property that by reason of illegal usage has become liable to forfeiture or other burden
II.
archaic
variant of gilt