Culpable
Deserving blame; guilty.
adjectiveCulpable
Deserving blame; guilty.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a courtroom label on a suspect's file that reads CULPABLE. A stamp slides over the page, declaring the person blameworthy as a judge weighs the evidence.
Sounds Like
KUL-puh-buhl
Looks Like
culp + able, hinting at blame
Remember This
Culpable comes from the Latin culpa meaning guilt. It is closely related to culprit; both revolve around blame.
Other Forms
Connect With
culprit, blame, guilt, responsibility, liable
Note
Culpable implies moral or legal blame for a fault. It is commonly used with for/of, as in 'culpable for the accident' or 'culpable of wrongdoing'. It is not the same as merely being responsible in a neutral sense.
Study Deeper
- The jurors found him culpable of the burglary after reviewing the evidence.
- He was declared culpable for the accident due to his reckless driving.
From Latin culpa 'fault, blame' + -abilis 'able', via Old French culpable and into English.
Culpa means guilt, and 'able' means capable. CULP-ABLE = able to be blamed.
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