culpability

noun

cul·​pa·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: 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

Synonyms of culpability

• blame
• guilt

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

The case’s top count is attempted murder, but the relative culpability of each defendant is in question by their defense attorneys and could be a focus of the trial, which is expected to take about two and a half weeks. —Emerson Clarridge updated February 17, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Feb. 2026

But the gulf between public opinion and civil culpability is vast, attorneys for the platforms say. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026

The clash over Wexner’s naming rights has emerged as a proxy PR war running parallel to the ongoing legal fight over Ohio State’s culpability for Strauss’ abuse—with the first of those cases scheduled to go to trial this fall. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2026

The autopsy report, however, is only a classification of how the person died and does in itself not imply that the death was intentional or determine any criminal culpability. —Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for culpability

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• capability
• changeability
• contractility
• credibility
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility
• feasibility