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culpable

KUL-puh-buhl /ˈkʌlpəbəl/

adjectiveC1GRESATCATUPSC

legalacademicprofessional

Deserving blame or censure; guilty of a misconception, error, or crime.

Indicates that someone is not just involved in a failure, but actively deserves moral or legal blame for it.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'culpabilis', which comes from 'culpare' (to blame) and 'culpa' (fault or crime). It entered English via Old French in the 14th century and has remained a cornerstone of legal terminology ever since.

Word relationships

blameworthy: Blameworthy is a general term for deserving disapproval, while culpable is more formal and frequently carries legal weight.
guilty: Guilty is a binary state (you either did it or you didn't), whereas culpable can exist in degrees (e.g., 'partially culpable').

innocent: Free from guilt or blame.
blameless: Entirely free from any deserving of censure or criticism.

Commonly confused with

culprit: A culprit is the noun (the person who did the bad deed), while culpable is the adjective describing their state of deserving blame.

Word family

culpability (noun): Responsibility for a fault or wrong; blame.
culpably (adverb): In a manner deserving blame.

Collocations

culpable homicide
highly culpable
found culpable

Example sentences

"The court found the construction company culpable for the bridge collapse due to their use of substandard materials." Accident Investigation
"Ignorance of the law does not make a person any less culpable when they commit a crime." Ethics

Memory hook

Think of a 'culprit' (the person who committed the crime). The culprit is highly 'culpable'. The culprit is culpable.

When not to use

Do not use to describe simple accidents where no one could have reasonably prevented the outcome.

Fun facts

In Roman law, 'culpa' was distinguished from 'dolus' (deliberate intent to harm). Culpa referred to negligence or lack of proper care.