Adjacent Words

Culpable definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CULPABLE, a. [L., a fault.]
1. Blamable; deserving censure; as the person who has done wrong, or the act, conduct or negligence of the person. We say, the man is culpable, or voluntary ignorance is culpable.
2. Sinful; criminal; immoral; faulty. But generally, culpable is applied to acts less atrocious than crimes.
3. Guilty of; as culpable of a crime. [Not used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: deserving blame or censure as being wrong or evil or injurious; "blameworthy if not criminal behavior"; "censurable misconduct"; "culpable negligence" [syn: blameworthy, blamable, blameable, blameful, censurable, culpable]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English coupable, from Anglo-French cupable, culpable, from Latin culpabilis, from culpare to blame, from culpa guilt Date: 14th century 1. archaic guilty, criminal 2. meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful <culpable negligence> Synonyms: see blameworthy • culpability noun • culpableness noun • culpably adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. deserving blame. Derivatives: culpability n. culpably adv. Etymology: ME f. OF coupable f. L culpabilis f. culpare f. culpa blame

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Culpable Cul"pa*ble (k?l"p?-b'l), a. [OE. culpable, coulpable, coupable, F. coupable, formerly also coupable, formerly also coulpable, culpable, fr. L. culpabilis, fr. culpare to blame, fr. culpa fault.] 1. Deserving censure; worthy of blame; faulty; immoral; criminal. --State Trials (1413). If he acts according to the best reason he hath, he is not culpable, though he be mistaken in his measures. --Sharp. 2. Guilty; as, culpable of a crime. [Obs.] --Spenser. -- Cul"pa*ble*ness, n. -- Cul"pa*bly, adv.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If someone or their conduct is culpable, they are responsible for something wrong or bad that has happened. (FORMAL) Their decision to do nothing makes them culpable. ...manslaughter resulting from culpable negligence. ADJ • culpability He added there was clear culpability on the part of the government.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Blamable, censurable, reprehensible, faulty, blameworthy, wrong.

Moby Thesaurus

accusable, amiss, arraignable, at fault, blamable, blameful, blameworthy, censurable, chargeable, criminal, faulty, guilty, impeachable, implicated, imputable, inculpated, indictable, involved, open to criticism, peccant, reprehensible, reproachable, reprovable, sinful, to blame, unholy