culpable

adjective

cul·​pa·​ble ˈkəl-pə-bəl 

1

: meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful

culpable negligence

The defendant is culpable for her actions.

2

archaic : guilty, criminal

culpableness

ˈkəl-pə-bəl-nəs 

noun

culpably

ˈkəl-pə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of culpable

• guilty
• blameworthy

Choose the Right Synonym for culpable

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

Examples of culpable in a Sentence

They held her culpable for the accident.

He's more culpable than the others because he's old enough to know better.

Recent Examples on the Web

The attorney represented Jennifer McCabe in 2023, when Read’s defense began claiming that the Canton woman was partly culpable for O’Keefe’s death. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

Roughly two dozen countries have statutes that classify maternal infanticide as less culpable than ordinary murder; the United States recognizes no such distinction, forcing cases like Clancy’s into the contentious framework of the insanity defense. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

The investigation also found the Clippers culpable in facilitating additional deals for Leonard to gain income from Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English coupable, from Anglo-French cupable, culpable, from Latin culpabilis, from culpare to blame, from culpa guilt

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing culpable

• culpable negligence

Kids Definition

culpable

adjective

cul·​pa·​ble ˈkəl-pə-bəl 

: deserving blame

culpability

ˌkəl-pə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

culpableness

ˈkəl-pə-bəl-nəs 

noun

culpably

ˈkəl-pə-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

culpable

adjective

cul·​pa·​ble ˈkəl-pə-bəl 

: deserving condemnation or blame as wrong or harmful

culpability

ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

culpableness noun

culpably adverb