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 of culprit

• offender
• criminal

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

Hur’s film stops short of naming a culprit, and its critics argue that the open ending implicates Park or his government. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

With Arch Manning being the starting quarterback for a Texas offense that ranks in the bottom half of the league, many are pointing at him as the lead culprit of the messy situation, but one former head coach is pointing the blame elsewhere. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

New research suggests millions of women in this cycle never had a straightforward urinary tract infection, and the real culprit is tied to hormone changes most doctors never bring up. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

But the real culprit is his failing Iran war, which has choked supply from the Middle East. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026

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