culpable

adjective

cul·pa·ble | \ ˈkəl-pə-bəl

Definition of culpable

1 : meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful culpable negligence The defendant is culpable for her actions.

2 archaic : guilty, criminal

Other Words from culpable Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about culpable

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

The seven people who helped Chau reach the island have been arrested and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and with violating rules protecting aboriginal tribes. — Kai Schultz, The Seattle Times, "Washington state man is killed by bow and arrow on remote island in India," 21 Nov. 2018 Justice Department officials have tried to combat this by issuing guidance and directing prosecutors to target culpable individuals in corporate crime cases, but the charges typically stick to low- and mid-level employees. — Samuel Rubenfeld, WSJ, "Cognizant Case Shows How Firms Can Avoid Charges Even Amid Alleged Wrongdoing," 20 Feb. 2019 The framing of Jean as somehow culpable for his own death is not limited to the arrest affidavit. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "The Botham Jean shooting exposes a major problem with discussions of police and black victims," 18 Sep. 2018 And the Spurs talisman soon completed his hat-trick, tapping in from close range with Boruc again culpable. — SI.com, "Bournemouth vs Tottenham Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More," 10 Mar. 2018 Judges disagreed with the defense’s argument that Mr. Schellenberg wasn’t culpable if someone else placed the calls on his phone, siding with prosecutors who argued that circumstantial evidence showed Mr. Schellenberg was involved. — Paul Vieira, WSJ, "Chinese Court Sentences Canadian National to Death for Drug Crimes in Retrial," 14 Jan. 2019 In past cases focusing on unfair pay for the cheerleaders, the league successfully asserted that cheerleaders were employees of the team rather than the league, so the N.F.L. was not culpable. — Ken Belson, New York Times, "How an Instagram Post Led to an N.F.L. Cheerleader’s Discrimination Case," 25 Mar. 2018 But after the hearing, which including searing testimony by more than 150 women, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked the Texas Rangers to see if anyone else was culpable for Nassar’s actions at the ranch. — Rachel Axon, USA TODAY, "USA Gymnastics a 'total failure,' according to investigation of famed Karolyi ranch," 29 June 2018 Initially, there was some speculation whether Mr. 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, New York Times, "Stateless and Poor, Some Boys in Thai Cave Had Already Beaten Long Odds," 10 July 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.