Synonyms of culpability

culpability 1 of 2

noun

ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

as in blame

responsibility for wrongdoing or failure

cannot find culpability where there is neither knowledge that a crime has been committed nor evidence of intent to commit a crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blame
• guilt
• onus
• fault
• complicity
• sinfulness
• accusation
• condemnation
• rap
• blameworthiness
• guiltiness
• remorse
• censure
• denunciation
• regret
• finger-pointing
• reproach
• shame
• self-reproach

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocence
• blamelessness
• guiltlessness
• faultlessness

culpable

2 of 2

adjective

ˈkəl-pə-bəl 

as in guilty

deserving reproach or blame

are you any less culpable for murder if you acted in the heat of passion?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• guilty
• blameworthy
• punishable
• reckless
• reprehensible
• blamable
• bad
• censurable
• at fault
• criminal
• reproachable
• improper
• foolish
• wrongful
• sinful
• irresponsible
• illegal
• wicked
• unlawful
• indictable
• illicit
• chargeable
• impeachable
• illegitimate
• disciplinable
• amerciable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blameless
• perfect
• faultless
• impeccable
• pure
• flawless
• irreproachable
• innocent
• guiltless

Synonym Chooser

How is the word culpable different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of culpable are blamable, blameworthy, and guilty. While all these words mean "deserving reproach or punishment," culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

culpable neglect

How are the words blameworthy and blamable related as synonyms of culpable?

Both blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.

conduct adjudged blameworthy

an accident for which no one is blamable

When could guilty be used to replace culpable?

While in some cases nearly identical to culpable, guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

guilty of a breach of etiquette

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of culpability

Noun

Based upon their replies, occupying Allied officials ranked their culpability, then tried the worst offenders — most famously in the Nuremberg trials, but also in numerous local tribunals. — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

But the legal system’s binary standard—sane and guilty, or insane and not—fits imperfectly with human intuitions about culpability in tragedies like the Clancys’. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Adjective

But isn’t the manager culpable when his dugout repeatedly butchers fundamental baserunning and defensive basics? — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026

Yes, every life includes some unique and untold combination of experiences for which other people are morally culpable. — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026