culprit

noun

cul·​prit ˈkəl-prət 

-ˌprit

1

: one accused of or charged with a crime

The culprit pleaded "not guilty."

2

: one guilty of a crime or a fault

The culprit expressed remorse at his sentencing.

3

: the source or cause of a problem

Lack of exercise and poor diet are the main culprits in heart disease.

Did you know?

We would be culpable—that is, deserving of blame—if we didn’t clearly explain the origin of culprit. Yes, it is related to culpable, which itself comes (via Middle English and Anglo-French) from the Latin verb culpare, meaning “to blame.” 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 the Anglo-French word prest or prit, meaning “ready”; literally, a culprit was one who was ready to be proven guilty. The word was eventually adopted into English and used to refer to someone who is accused of a wrongdoing. The word has since taken on an additional meaning: “the source or cause of a problem.”

Synonyms

• offender
• criminal

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The greedy culprits were primarily private nonprofits, ranging from large research universities like NYU and USC to small colleges which weren’t even in the master’s game at the dawn of Grad PLUS. —Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025

The culprits: Straight While Maliens, a race of extraterrestrial incels depicted as rectangular creatures with expressive faces. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 8 July 2025

There has been plenty of blame to go around as the Yankees suffer pitching injuries, offensive regressions and defensive missteps, but one culprit has stood out above the rest: Anthony Volpe. —Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025

The culprits: members of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, who had been using the sprawling hotel as a base for their takeover of Port-au-Prince and have been fighting with Haitian national police officers. —Miami Herald, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

culprit

noun

cul·​prit ˈkəl-prət 

-ˌprit

1

: one accused of or charged with a crime or fault

2

: one guilty of a crime or fault