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

• criminal
• crook
• lawbreaker
• malefactor
• miscreant
• offender

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

Police analysts can then comb through this data and attempt to identify a culprit, often using surveillance footage or witness testimony about a vehicle’s color, make, or model. —Dell Cameron, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025

Now, researchers have warned that one of the biggest culprits, Lumma Stealer, is increasingly difficult to detect. —Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Social media users condemned the culprits, and some noted that the cuts were done just ahead of Earth Day. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025

Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health. —Maxim Sytch, Harvard Business Review, 18 Apr. 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