culpable

adjective cul·pa·ble \ ˈkəl-pə-bəl \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: culpable in a Sentence

Definition of culpable

1 archaic : guilty, criminal

2 : meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful

culpable negligence

The defendant is culpable for her actions.

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culpability

play \ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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culpableness

play \ˈkəl-pə-bəl-nəs\ noun

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culpably

play \ˈkəl-pə-blē\ adverb

See culpable defined for English-language learners

See culpable defined for kids

Examples of culpable in a Sentence

They held her culpable for the accident.
He's more culpable than the others because he's old enough to know better.

Recent Examples of culpable from the Web

Initially, there was some speculation whether Ekkapol, the 25-year-old coach who took the boys into Tham Luang Cave, might be criminally culpable for overseeing a trip gone wrong.

— hannah beech, The Seattle Times, "For some Thai soccer-team members, cave ordeal was only their latest test," 10 July 2018
Because of the incident, Isidore, 24, is facing a misdemeanor charge of culpable negligence, Broward court records show.

— anne geggis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Breaking up is hard to do: Woman says it was her ex on the car’s hood along I-95," 27 June 2018
Yeshua Ramirez, 20, pleaded no contest to attempted murder and culpable negligence in Osceola County Circuit Court, records say.

— david harris, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Man who left diabetic woman to die gets seven years in prison," 16 June 2018
According to the National Institute of Drug Health, studies have shown that cannabis consumption almost doubles the risk of a driver being culpable for a injurious or fatal collisions compared to drivers not under the influence of any substances.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Cyclist dies after collision with driver who was high on marijuana, police say," 19 June 2018
The same goes for claiming the cargo-bike users are culpable for gentrification and displacing working-class families.

— olga mecking, The Atlantic, "‘Cargo-Bike Moms’ Are Gentrifying the Netherlands," 11 June 2018
Really, to me, the person who is most culpable is the manager for letting this happen.

— elizabeth chuck /, NBC News, "Target fires manager after black woman says she was racially profiled," 5 June 2018
Payne was the most culpable of the defendants convicted in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and deserved a nearly three and a half year prison term, Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Barrow argued.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Federal judge sentences Oregon refuge occupier Ryan Payne to just over 3 years," 27 Feb. 2018
Technicalities or not, Ms. Bennett is culpable in BJ's horrific death as is every person who watched him suffer or heard his anguished barking and did nothing.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The West Hartford Edition," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'culpable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of culpable

Middle English coupable, from Anglo-French cupable, culpable, from Latin culpabilis, from culpare to blame, from culpa guilt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

culpable Synonyms

Phrases

at fault;

Synonym Discussion of culpable

blameworthy, blamable, guilty, culpable mean deserving reproach or punishment. blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.

- conduct adjudged blameworthy
- an accident for which no one is blamable

guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

- guilty of a breach of etiquette

culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

- culpable neglect

CULPABLE Defined for English Language Learners

culpable

adjective

Definition of culpable for English Language Learners

: deserving blame : guilty of doing something wrong

Law Dictionary

culpable

adjective cul·pa·ble \ ˈkəl-pə-bəl \

legal Definition of culpable

: deserving condemnation or blame as wrong or harmful

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culpability

play \ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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culpableness

noun

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culpably

adverb

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for culpable Spanish Central: Translation of culpable Nglish: Translation of culpable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of culpable for Arabic speakers

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Definition of culpable for English Language Learners

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