guilt

noun \ ˈgilt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of guilt

1 : the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty

A jury will determine the defendant's guilt or innocence.

; broadly : guilty conduct

2 a : the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously

His guilt was written in his face.

b : feelings of deserving blame especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : self-reproach

3 : a feeling of deserving blame for offenses

Wracked by guilt, he confessed his affairs.

See guilt defined for English-language learners

See guilt defined for kids

Examples of guilt in a Sentence

The jury determines the defendant's guilt or innocence.
His guilt in the matter was indisputable.
It was clear that the guilt lay with him.
a strong sense of guilt
She feels guilt over something that happened before she was born!
our secret guilts and insecurities

Recent Examples of guilt from the Web

In 2016, when the commission unveiled a deal that would let Gazprom avoid financial penalties and an admission of guilt, uproar arose in some EU countries once under Moscow’s control.

— emre peker, WSJ, "EU Set to Settle Antitrust Case Against Gazprom Soon," 7 May 2018
There were many signs that Alex was dealing with guilt over the death of his friend Hannah (Katherine Langford) which seemingly led to suicidal ideation.

— refinery29.com, "13 Reasons Why Just Debunked The Most Controversial Theory," 1 May 2018
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt.

— Houston Chronicle, "Missouri City, Houston men caught up in alleged espionage scheme involving Chinese company," 27 Apr. 2018
Returning to his home state of Texas, Lundy was wracked with guilt.

— Anchorage Daily News, "A decade after the Alaska Ranger sank, a survivor changes his story," 13 Apr. 2018
Greek goes on to postulate that one of the principal psychological mechanisms by which Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh controls his followers is the manipulation of guilt.

— win mccormack, The New Republic, "Bhagwan’s Devious Trap," 12 Apr. 2018
La Cava faces up to 20 years in prison, but his plea deal indicates authorities won’t object to a lighter sentence because of his admission of guilt.

— paul brinkmann, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Real estate Ponzi schemer, Alfano La Cava, pleads guilty," 6 Apr. 2018
By pleading no contest, Chu is not admitting guilt.

— robert gundran, azcentral, "Man pleads 'no contest' to manslaughter, aggravated assault in high-speed 2016 crash," 4 Apr. 2018
The question will then become whether the voters care about a Trump action that amounts to an implicit admission of guilt.

— matthew yglesias, Vox, "Donald Trump’s threat to the rule of law is much bigger than Robert Mueller," 19 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of guilt

Middle English, delinquency, guilt, from Old English gylt delinquency

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

guilt Synonyms

Synonyms

contriteness, contrition, penitence, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, self-reproach, shame;

Antonyms

impenitence, remorselessness;

blame, culpability, fault;

liability, rap, responsibility;

chagrin, embarrassment;

anguish, distress, grief, ruth, sadness, sorrow;

bloodguilt, bloodguiltiness;

apology, excuses, hand-wringing, mea culpa;

GUILT Defined for English Language Learners

guilt

noun

Definition of guilt for English Language Learners

: responsibility for a crime or for doing something bad or wrong
: a bad feeling caused by knowing or thinking that you have done something bad or wrong

GUILT Defined for Kids

guilt

noun \ ˈgilt \

Definition of guilt for Students

1 : responsibility for having done something wrong and especially something against the law

He admitted his guilt.

2 : a feeling of shame or regret as a result of bad conduct

—

guiltless

\-ləs\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

guilt

noun \ ˈgilt \

medical Definition of guilt

: feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : morbid self-reproach often manifest in marked preoccupation with the moral correctness of one's behavior