culpability 1 of 2

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

culpable

2 of 2

adjective

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of culpability
Noun
Eventually, the idea of contamination becomes more metaphorical, providing an image or a reference point for how Tabo’s culpability, and that of his mother, spreads to the three central characters. Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 Lerner’s statement, naturally, made no mention of ownership’s own culpability. Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Adjective
No one seems to know what happened, or if Jeremy is culpable in some way, and intense scrutiny falls on Jeremy’s latest protégée, 15-year-old Julie. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025 The Cameroonian was culpable for several blunders last term as Manchester United suffered a dismal campaign. Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for culpability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culpability
Noun
  • Following the Yankees' third loss in as many days against the Red Sox, captain Aaron Judge spoke to the media and placed the blame on himself and the rest of the players.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
  • The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox Everyone knows the story of Amanda Knox: a college student studies abroad in Italy, discovers her roommate murdered in her room and Italian authorities put the blame on her and her boyfriend.
    Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In 2017, Dennis pled guilty to drug paraphernalia charges, according to this court docket.
    Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
    Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • That being said, the guilt of leaving for me-time creeps in for so many parents at the end of a long day.
    Staff Author Updated, Parents, 18 Aug. 2025
  • In 2022, then-NBC News reporter Jacob Ward spoke with a former Nigerian romance scammer who spent five years targeting American women and eventually conned one out of $20,000 before confessing out of guilt.
    Jillian Frankel, People.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • His Stoic Challenge framework invites you to see a setback not as something terrible, blameworthy or unfair but instead as a test of your ingenuity and resilience.
    Hanna Hart, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • But Miss Manners acknowledges that there is also the less blameworthy impulse to offer comfort — not just sympathy — when there is no real comfort to be offered.
    Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culpability. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

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