culpability

noun

cul·​pa·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce culpability (audio)
: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure : the quality or state of being culpable
moral/legal/criminal culpability
He refuses to acknowledge his own culpability.
Culpability for our failure to reduce petroleum imports falls across the political spectrum.Gregg Easterbrook

Examples of culpability in a Sentence

cannot find culpability where there is neither knowledge that a crime has been committed nor evidence of intent to commit a crime
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sam becomes the subject of an intense missing persons investigation and a dead giveaway for Robbie’s culpability should he be discovered by Perry (Jamie McShane), a biker gang member seeking revenge for the crime. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025 The aversion to speaking of death is compounded by collective culpability. Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025 Nevertheless, no substantial evidence has ever proved Gein’s culpability. Andrew McGowan, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025 Khan, who led the agency in bringing the lawsuit against Amazon, suggested that the FTC had absolved the company of its full culpability by agreeing to settle. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for culpability

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of culpability was in 1652

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Cite this Entry

“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culpability. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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