culpability

noun

cul·​pa·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce culpability (audio)
Synonyms of culpability
: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure : the quality or state of being culpable
moral/legal/criminal culpability
He refuses to acknowledge his own culpability.
Culpability for our failure to reduce petroleum imports falls across the political spectrum.—Gregg Easterbrook

Synonyms of culpability

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Examples of culpability in a Sentence

cannot find culpability where there is neither knowledge that a crime has been committed nor evidence of intent to commit a crime
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The case has also sparked deep public divisions over her culpability and the issues around maternal mental health after childbirth. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The long delay before Davis was charged, DiGiacomo said, did not mean Las Vegas investigators doubted his culpability. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026 Mental illness may affect culpability and demonstrate the need for treatment. — Laurie Myers, Boston Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 Based upon their replies, occupying Allied officials ranked their culpability, then tried the worst offenders — most famously in the Nuremberg trials, but also in numerous local tribunals. — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for culpability

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of culpability was in 1652

Rhymes for culpability

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Browse Nearby Words

culpa
culpability
culpable
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Cite this Entry

“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culpability. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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