culpable

adjective

cul·​pa·​ble ˈkəl-pə-bəl How to pronounce culpable (audio)
Synonyms of culpablenext
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 How to pronounce culpable (audio)
noun
culpably
ˈkəl-pə-blē How to pronounce culpable (audio)
adverb

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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
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.
The Brazil international was partly culpable for a Manchester City goal on the opening day of the season, but few Wolves supporters expected to see him on the substitutes’ bench at Bournemouth, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde preferred as Joao Gomes’s midfield partner. — Steve Madeley, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2025 As the Air Canada example shows, chatbots are not held culpable for giving customers misleading information—companies are. — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025 If states accelerate climate law reforms to avoid being seen as negligent—or worse, culpable—then policy signals may shift quickly. — Scott Kelly, Sourcing Journal, 4 Aug. 2025 Soto’s defensive struggles contribute to their 108.4 fly ball multiplier, while 1B Pete Alonso and 3B Mark Vientos are chiefly culpable for their 123.2 grounder multiplier. — Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for culpable

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of culpable was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing culpable

Browse Nearby Words

culpability
culpable
culpable negligence
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Culpable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culpable. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

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Legal Definition

culpable

adjective
cul·​pa·​ble ˈkəl-pə-bəl How to pronounce culpable (audio)
: deserving condemnation or blame as wrong or harmful
culpability
ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce culpable (audio)
noun
culpableness noun
culpably adverb

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