culprit
[kuhl-prit]
- a person or other agent guilty of or responsible for an offense or fault.
- a person arraigned for an offense.
Origin of culprit
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for culprit
Contemporary Examples
Plus there is another problem that the viruses pose—the problem that apparently is the culprit this year—they evolve.
In both cases, the culprit is one perceived to be “the Other”: gays, the African president, whatever.
The other culprit, of course, is the one misanthropic jerk who reported “several hundred” names to the Facebook robot.
Facebook Apologizes For, but Doesn’t Retract, Discriminatory ‘Real Name’ PolicyJay Michaelson
October 1, 2014
Personally, I support their efforts to find the culprit or the culprits.
Vilified Bitcoin Tycoon After Losing $500 Million: My Life Is at RiskNathalie-Kyoko Stucky
September 17, 2014
That leaves one other improbable but ultimately most likely culprit: a high-mass, low-temperature white dwarf.
Historical Examples
There was a refreshing novelty in this case, where one of themselves was the culprit.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
I passed through the gossiping crowd with bread and water for my culprit.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)Maria Edgeworth
She looked like a culprit whom direst vengeance had overtaken at last.
Meadow GrassAlice Brown
No culprit was ever required to bear witness against himself!
Salted With FireGeorge MacDonald
The misunderstanding was an unfortunate affair for the culprit.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
culprit
- law a person awaiting trial, esp one who has pleaded not guilty
- the person responsible for a particular offence, misdeed, etc
Word Origin
C17: from Anglo-French cul-, short for culpable guilty + prit ready, indicating that the prosecution was ready to prove the guilt of the one charged
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for culprit
n.
1670s, from Anglo-French cul prit, contraction of Culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) "guilty, ready (to prove our case)," words used by prosecutor in opening a trial. It seems the abbreviation cul. prit was mistaken in English for an address to the defendant.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper