guilty

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adjective \ ˈgil-tē \

Definition of guilty

guiltier; guiltiest

1 :justly chargeable with or responsible for a usually grave breach of conduct or a crime

Does the defendant plead guilty or not guilty?

2 obsolete :justly liable to or deserving of a penalty

3 a :suggesting or involving guilt

The children exchanged guilty looks.

b :aware of or suffering from guilt

guilty consciences

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guiltily

play \ˈgil-tə-lē\ adverb

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guiltiness

play \ˈgil-tē-nəs\ noun

See guilty defined for English-language learners

See guilty defined for kids

Examples of guilty in a Sentence

Do you think he's innocent or guilty?
Will the defendant plead guilty or not guilty?
The children exchanged guilty looks.
He was acting like someone with a guilty conscience.
There's no need to feel guilty about it.

Recent Examples of guilty from the Web

But despite a change of venue and the new defense, Irvin was again found guilty.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "The Case Thurgood Marshall Never Forgot," 30 Aug. 2017
By far, the best known is Purdue Pharma, which began marketing extended release OxyContin in the mid-1990s and whose executives have pleaded guilty to charges related to misleading physicians about the drug’s benefits and potential for addiction.

— don sapatkin, Philly.com, "Bensalem is first Philly-area town to sue drugmakers for fueling opioid epidemic," 30 Aug. 2017
All have pleaded guilty except for him and David Greg Leppo, who is accused of owning some of the sports betting sites.

— kristina davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Father, son plead guilty to running illegal sports betting ring out of San Diego card room," 29 Aug. 2017
A Hartford man who pleaded guilty for his role in a heroin trafficking ring was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

— sandra gomez-aceves, courant.com, "Hartford Man Sentenced To Five Years In Heroin Trafficking Case," 29 Aug. 2017
Jose Luis Solis, 30, has pleaded not guilty to three counts filed against him in El Cajon Superior Court.

— neal putnam, Ramona Sentinel, "Court sets hearing on weapons charges," 28 Aug. 2017
Bolton found Arpaio guilty, citing his numerous statements to the news media and his actions in continuing to detain Latino motorists.

— tom jackman, chicagotribune.com, "How ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio wound up facing jail time, before Trump pardoned him," 26 Aug. 2017
Walton's attorney, Catherine Flynn, of Baltimore, said her client had pled not guilty.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Charges dropped in 2016 Aberdeen double homicide," 25 Aug. 2017
House rules allow the chamber to determine the sanctions if Baez is found guilty.

— mary ellen klas, miamiherald, "Could Miami lawmaker lose her House seat because of where her house is?," 24 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of guilty

see guilt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

guilty Synonyms

Synonyms

ashamed, shamed, shamefaced

Antonyms

shameless, unashamed

Related Words

apologetic, contrite, penitent, remorseful, repentant, sorry; compunctious, regretful, rueful; penitential; blushing, chagrined, embarrassed, hangdog, sheepish; blamable, blameworthy, culpable

Near Antonyms

impenitent, remorseless, unapologetic, unrepentant; brazen, cheeky, impudent; blameless, guiltless, innocent

Synonym Discussion of guilty

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

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

GUILTY Defined for English Language Learners

guilty

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adjective

Definition of guilty for English Language Learners

: responsible for committing a crime or doing something bad or wrong
: showing that you know you have done something bad or wrong
: feeling bad because you have done something bad or wrong or because you believe you have done something bad or wrong

GUILTY Defined for Kids

guilty

play

adjective \ ˈgil-tē \

Definition of guilty for Students

guiltier; guiltiest

1 :responsible for having done wrong

2 :suffering from or showing bad feelings about having done wrong

I feel guilty about lying.

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guiltily

\-tə-lē\ adverb

Law Dictionary

guilty

adjective

legal Definition of guilty

guiltier; guiltiest

1 :having committed a crime :justly charged with a specified crime

guilty of larceny

2 :involving guilt or culpability

guilty knowledge

guilty

noun

legal Definition of guilty

1 :a plea of a criminal defendant who does not intend to contest the charges

2 :a verdict of a jury that believes the defendant committed the crime charged — compare nolo contendere, not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity