culprit
playSimple Definition of culprit
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: a person who has committed a crime or done something wrong
Examples of culprit in a sentence
The police eventually located the culprits.
<the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime>
Did You Know?
We would be culpable if we didn't clearly explain the origins behind culprit. Yes, it is related to culpable, which itself derives from Latin culpare, meaning "to blame," via Middle English and Anglo-French. But the etymology of culprit is not so straightforward. In Anglo-French, culpable meant "guilty," and this was abbreviated "cul." in legal briefs and texts. Culprit was formed by combining this abbreviation with prest, prit, meaning "ready"-that is, ready to prove an accusation. Literally, then, a culprit was one who was ready to be proven guilty. English then borrowed the word for one accused of a wrongdoing.
Origin and Etymology of culprit
Anglo-French cul. (abbreviation of culpable guilty) + prest, prit ready (i.e., to prove it), from Latin praestus — more at presto
First Known Use: 1678
Other Legal Terms
CULPRIT Defined for Kids
culprit
playDefinition of culprit for Students
: a person accused of, charged with, or guilty of a crime or fault
Learn More about culprit
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for culprit Spanish Central: Translation of culprit Nglish: Translation of culprit for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of culprit for Arabic speakers
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