culpable
adjective
cul·pa·ble ˈkəl-pə-bəl 
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
noun culpably
ˈkəl-pə-blē
adverb 
Synonyms
- blamable
- blameworthy
- censurable
- reprehensible
- reproachable
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Kochai’s fiction speaks to the human need to make sense of overwhelming violence—who survives it and who doesn’t; who is held culpable and who isn’t. 
Omar El Akkad, The Atlantic, 9 Aug. 2022 That alone, however, does not make his parents criminally culpable for his actions. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 12 July 2022 About a month after her death, bridge operator Artissua Lafaye Paulk, 43, was arrested on a charge of manslaughter by culpable negligence. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2022 In June, a Florida mother was arrested and charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence after her 2-year-old son found a firearm and fatally shot his father. Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022 Their report said state and federal officers on scene were equally culpable for the delay in confronting the shooter. Rosa Flores, CNN, 27 July 2022 Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to Trump’s White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, provided compelling testimony Tuesday that former president Donald Trump is singularly culpable for the Capitol riot. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 28 June 2022 In addition to their carbon emissions, pharmaceutical companies are also culpable for their direct emission of pharmaceutical residues into the environment — also unaddressed in the user fee legislation — that can exceed toxic concentrations. David Introcaso, STAT, 13 June 2022 The parties remain split on who is culpable for the recent mass shootings, with a majority of Democrats blaming gun manufacturers, the National Rifle Association and Trump while over half of Republicans blame Congressional Democrats. Amy Nakamura, USA TODAY, 7 June 2022 See More
Omar El Akkad, The Atlantic, 9 Aug. 2022 That alone, however, does not make his parents criminally culpable for his actions. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 12 July 2022 About a month after her death, bridge operator Artissua Lafaye Paulk, 43, was arrested on a charge of manslaughter by culpable negligence. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2022 In June, a Florida mother was arrested and charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence after her 2-year-old son found a firearm and fatally shot his father. Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022 Their report said state and federal officers on scene were equally culpable for the delay in confronting the shooter. Rosa Flores, CNN, 27 July 2022 Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to Trump’s White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, provided compelling testimony Tuesday that former president Donald Trump is singularly culpable for the Capitol riot. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 28 June 2022 In addition to their carbon emissions, pharmaceutical companies are also culpable for their direct emission of pharmaceutical residues into the environment — also unaddressed in the user fee legislation — that can exceed toxic concentrations. David Introcaso, STAT, 13 June 2022 The parties remain split on who is culpable for the recent mass shootings, with a majority of Democrats blaming gun manufacturers, the National Rifle Association and Trump while over half of Republicans blame Congressional Democrats. Amy Nakamura, USA TODAY, 7 June 2022 See More 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
Phrases Containing culpable
Legal Definition
culpable
adjective
cul·pa·ble ˈkəl-pə-bəl
: deserving condemnation or blame as wrong or harmful
culpable
adjective
as in guilty
deserving reproach or blame are you any less culpable for murder if you acted in the heat of passion? Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- guilty
- blameworthy
- punishable
- reprehensible
- reckless
- blamable
- censurable
- criminal
- reproachable
- bad
- at fault
- improper
- wrongful
- sinful
- foolish
- irresponsible
- illegal
- wicked
- unlawful
- indictable
- impeachable
- chargeable
- illicit
- illegitimate
- disciplinable
- amerciable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blameless
- faultless
- perfect
- pure
- impeccable
- innocent
- flawless
- irreproachable
- guiltless
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of culpable are blamable, blameworthy, and guilty. While all these words mean "deserving reproach or punishment," culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.
culpable neglect
Both blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.
conduct adjudged blameworthy
an accident for which no one is blamable
While in some cases nearly identical to culpable, guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.
guilty of a breach of etiquette