culpablecul‧pa‧ble /ˈkʌlpəbəl/ adjective 
Both parties were held to be to some extent culpable.► see thesaurus at guilty2law a culpable action is one that is considered criminalculpable homicide/negligence etc He pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.—culpably adverb—culpability /ˌkʌlpəˈbɪləti/ noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINculpable
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French coupable, from Latin culpabilis, from culpare ‘to blame’, from culpa ‘guilt’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- If people develop smoking-related diseases, are they or the tobacco companies culpable?
- Sloppy accounting was culpable for the shortfall in revenue.
- At the same time, the culpable faction is viewed as exempt from organizational control.
- Both individual men and the political movements men have made within the working class are culpable.
- He would immortalize Jack and vindicate himself from his culpable grief by becoming what Jack would have been.
- In that lack of concern, he was no more or less culpable than his predecessors.
- Still, he would have done if it hadn't slipped his mind, and surely the intention made him culpable.
- The oil companies are culpable too.
THESAURUS
if someone is guilty of a crime or doing something wrong, they did it, and they should be punished for it: · She was found guilty of murder.· He was guilty of serious misconduct.· The two guilty men were ordered to pay damages to their victims.
[not before noun] used when saying who should be blamed for something bad that has happened: · Police believe a local gang is responsible for the burglaries.· As manager, he is ultimately responsible for the failure of the project.· The other driver was responsible for the accident.
if someone is to blame for a bad situation, they are responsible: · The government is partly to blame for the crisis.· If anything goes wrong, it’s never him that is to blame.
formal responsible for something bad or illegal, so that you deserve to be blamed or punished: · The people who helped the terrorists are equally culpable for what happened on July 7th.· He pleaded guilty to culpable homicide (=being guilty of causing someone’s death).
[not usually before noun] responsible for something bad that has happened, because you did not take enough care, or you did not try to stop it from happening: · The court decided that the railway company was negligent.
to be responsible for an accident, mistake etc – used when deciding which person, group etc should be blamed: · The other driver was clearly in the wrong.· She always thinks it’s me who is in the wrong.
used about things which seem to show that someone is guilty of a crime: · incriminating evidence· incriminating documents· He didn’t want to say anything incriminating.
Longman Language Activatorguilty if someone is guilty of a crime, he or she is the person that did it: · The guilty were each given a life sentence.find somebody guilty (=decide in a law court that someone is guilty): · The jury found Sewell guilty and he was sent to prison.guilty of murder/rape/a crime etc: · A 23-year-old woman was found guilty of murder in the Central Court today.guilty of doing something: · Davis was found guilty of abducting and killing Polly Klaas.plead guilty (=say in a law court that you are guilty of a crime): · Roberts pleaded guilty to driving without insurance.
if someone is responsible for a crime, accident, or mistake, they did it or made it happen: · The other driver was responsible for the accident, and he should pay for the damage.responsible for: · Police believe a local gang is responsible for the recent burglaries.· Mrs Williams says that the hospital was responsible for her husband's death.
guilty of causing something bad to happen, especially because you did not do anything to prevent it - used especially in formal or legal contexts: · If people develop smoking-related diseases, are they or the tobacco companies culpable?· Lawyers are debating whether allowing a terminally ill patient to die amounts to culpable homicide (=a legal decision that someone was criminally guilty of the death).
WORD SETSabet, verbaccusation, nounaccuse, verbaffray, nounarson, nounassault, nounassault and battery, nounbackhander, nounbattery, nounbigamy, nounblack market, nounblack marketeer, nounbreak-in, nounbreaking and entering, nouncaper, nouncapital, adjectivecarjacking, nouncat burglar, nouncontract, nouncosh, nouncounterfeit, adjectivecounterfeit, verbcover, nouncrack, verbcriminal, adjectivecriminal, nouncriminal law, nouncriminal record, nouncriminology, nouncrook, nounculpable, adjectiveculprit, noundefamation, noundefraud, verbdelinquency, noundelinquent, adjectivedelinquent, noundesperado, noundisorderly, adjectivedrug baron, noundrug runner, nounDUI, nounembezzle, verbexpropriate, verbextort, verbeyewitness, nounfelon, nounfelony, nounfence, nounfiddle, nounfiddle, verbfiddler, nounfilch, verbfinger, verbfire-raising, nounfirst offender, nounflash, verbflasher, nounforge, verbforger, nounforgery, nounfoul play, nounframe, verbframe-up, nounfratricide, nounfraud, nounfreebooter, noungang, noungang-bang, noungang rape, noungangster, nounGBH, noungenocide, noungetaway, noungodfather, noungrand larceny, noungrass, noungrievous bodily harm, nounheist, nounhijack, verbhijack, nounhijacking, nounhit, nounhit-and-run, adjectivehit man, nounincriminate, verbindecent assault, nounindecent exposure, nouninfanticide, nounjob, nounjoyriding, nounjuvenile delinquent, nounkidnap, verblarceny, nounlibel, nounlibel, verblibellous, adjectivelow life, nounmafioso, nounmalpractice, nounmanslaughter, nounmassacre, nounmassacre, verbmatricide, nounmisappropriate, verbmisconduct, nounmisdeed, nounmisdemeanour, nounmobster, nounmoll, nounmug, verbmugshot, nounmurder, nounmurder, verbmurderer, nounmurderess, nounmuscleman, nounnark, nounnefarious, adjectiveneighbourhood watch, nounnick, verbno-go area, nounoffence, nounoffend, verboffender, nounold lag, nounorganized crime, nounoutlaw, nounparricide, nounpatricide, nounpetty larceny, nounPhotofit, nounpiracy, nounplant, verbpoach, verbpoacher, nounpossession, nounprivateer, nounprotection, nounprowl, verbprowler, nounpublic nuisance, nounpull, verbpunk, nounpurloin, verbraid, nounram-raiding, nounrape, verbrape, nounrapist, nounravish, verbreceiver, nounreceiving, nounrecidivist, nounregicide, nounring, nounringleader, nounriotous, adjectiverob, verbrobber, nounrobbery, nounroll, verbrustler, nounscheme, nounscheme, verbshady, adjectiveshoplift, verbshoplifting, nounslander, nounsmuggle, verbsnout, nounspeeding, nounstabbing, nounstalking, nounstatutory offence, nounstatutory rape, nounsteal, verbstoolpigeon, nounsupergrass, nounsuspect, nounswag, nountheft, nounthief, nounthievish, adjectivetorch, verbtraffic, nountrafficker, nountriad, noununder-the-counter, adjectiveunderworld, nounundesirable, nounvagrancy, nounvandal, nounvandalism, nounvandalize, verbvice, nounvigilante, nounvillainy, nounviolate, verbviolation, nounwanted, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
1formal deserving blame: He pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.· Sutherland has denied the culpable homicide of Mr Buckley.· Yesterday, the Crown accepted a guilty plea to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.
Both parties were held to be to some extent culpable.► see thesaurus at guilty2law a culpable action is one that is considered criminalculpable homicide/negligence etc He pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.—culpably adverb—culpability /ˌkʌlpəˈbɪləti/ noun [uncountable]