culprit

noun

cul·prit ˈkəl-prət How to pronounce culprit (audio)

-ˌprit

: one accused of or charged with a crime

The culprit pleaded "not guilty."

: one guilty of a crime or a fault

The culprit expressed remorse at his sentencing.

: the source or cause of a problem

Lack of exercise and poor diet are the main culprits in heart disease.

Did you know?

We would be culpable if we didn't clearly explain the origins behind culprit. Yes, it is related to culpable, which itself derives from Latin culpare, meaning "to blame," via Middle English and Anglo-French. But the etymology of culprit is not so straightforward. In Anglo-French, culpable meant "guilty," and this was abbreviated "cul." in legal briefs and texts. Culprit was formed by combining this abbreviation with prest, prit, meaning "ready"-that is, ready to prove an accusation. Literally, then, a culprit was one who was ready to be proven guilty. English then borrowed the word for one accused of a wrongdoing.

Example Sentences

The police eventually located the culprits. the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime

Recent Examples on the Web There probably are multiple causes, but habitat loss is likely the principal culprit.

Tom Langen, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 There was no clear culprit, so state park officials asked Epstein to fly his drone over the area to see what might be swimming near the shore.

N'dea Yancey-bragg, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2022 Stewart, who has balked at complaints that underfunding by the city is the chief culprit, appears drawn to Gasper’s approach.

Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Sep. 2022 Several parents, activists, and politicians reacted, saying COVID-19-related school lockdowns can account for the regression and agreeing that teachers unions were the biggest culprit.

Joshua Q. Nelson, Fox News, 1 Sep. 2022 For both Latinx and Asian Americans, COVID-19 was the secondary culprit, trailing unintentional injuries for the former group and cancer for the latter.

Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2022 If group sales are indeed the biggest culprit, then the situation figures to slowly correct itself as businesses return to in-person events.

Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 The primary culprit for inflation is the Federal Reserve.

Alexander William Salter, National Review, 25 Aug. 2022 One culprit is the 2019 closure of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery, which removed about 335,000 barrels a day of refining capacity from the Northeast.

The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2022 See More

单词	culprits
释义	culprit noun cul·prit ˈkəl-prət -ˌprit 1 : one accused of or charged with a crime The culprit pleaded "not guilty." 2 : one guilty of a crime or a fault The culprit expressed remorse at his sentencing. 3 : the source or cause of a problem Lack of exercise and poor diet are the main culprits in heart disease. Did you know? We would be culpable if we didn't clearly explain the origins behind culprit. Yes, it is related to culpable, which itself derives from Latin culpare, meaning "to blame," via Middle English and Anglo-French. But the etymology of culprit is not so straightforward. In Anglo-French, culpable meant "guilty," and this was abbreviated "cul." in legal briefs and texts. Culprit was formed by combining this abbreviation with prest, prit, meaning "ready"-that is, ready to prove an accusation. Literally, then, a culprit was one who was ready to be proven guilty. English then borrowed the word for one accused of a wrongdoing. Synonyms criminal crook lawbreaker malefactor miscreant offender See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The police eventually located the culprits. the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime Recent Examples on the Web There probably are multiple causes, but habitat loss is likely the principal culprit. Tom Langen, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 There was no clear culprit, so state park officials asked Epstein to fly his drone over the area to see what might be swimming near the shore. N'dea Yancey-bragg, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2022 Stewart, who has balked at complaints that underfunding by the city is the chief culprit, appears drawn to Gasper’s approach. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Sep. 2022 Several parents, activists, and politicians reacted, saying COVID-19-related school lockdowns can account for the regression and agreeing that teachers unions were the biggest culprit. Joshua Q. Nelson, Fox News, 1 Sep. 2022 For both Latinx and Asian Americans, COVID-19 was the secondary culprit, trailing unintentional injuries for the former group and cancer for the latter. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2022 If group sales are indeed the biggest culprit, then the situation figures to slowly correct itself as businesses return to in-person events. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 The primary culprit for inflation is the Federal Reserve. Alexander William Salter, National Review, 25 Aug. 2022 One culprit is the 2019 closure of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery, which removed about 335,000 barrels a day of refining capacity from the Northeast. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Anglo-French cul. (abbreviation of culpable guilty) + prest, prit ready (i.e., to prove it), from Latin praestus — more at presto First Known Use 1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition culprit noun cul·prit ˈkəl-prət : a person accused of, charged with, or guilty of a crime or fault culprits noun plural of culprit as in offenders a person who has committed a crime the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance offenders criminals lawbreakers defendants perpetrators crooks miscreants suspects malefactors accomplices villains principals perps wrongdoers outlaws guns convicts thugs transgressors desperadoes trespassers accused hoodlums fishes desperados misdemeanants hooligans gangsters triggermen racketeers jailbirds sinners fish mobsters misdoers recidivists backsliders detainees evildoers arrestees enforcers gunmen gunsels button men misfeasors relapsers gallows birds repeaters blackhanders hit men Antonyms & Near Antonyms lawmen gangbusters
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culprit

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

noun

noun