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View synonyms for mea culpa

mea culpa

[ mey-uh kuhl-puh, mee-uh; Latin me-ah kool-pah ]

interjection

  1. my fault! (used as an acknowledgment of one's responsibility).


noun

, plural me·a cul·pas.
  1. an acknowledgment of one's responsibility for a fault or error.

mea culpa

/ ˈmeɪɑː ˈkʊlpɑː /

(no translation)

  1. an acknowledgment of guilt


mea culpa

  1. An expression from Catholic ritual that assigns blame to oneself: “I gave you the wrong directions to my house — mea culpa.” From Latin , meaning “my fault” or “my blame.”


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Word History and Origins

Origin of mea culpa1

From Latin: literally “through my fault”; mea culpa def 1 was first recorded in 1200–50, and mea culpa def 2 in 1815–20; culpa ( def )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mea culpa1

literally: my fault

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Example Sentences

In Washington, where politicians have mastered the art of the mea culpa, those words would not normally warrant much attention.

Like Gates, I also lost my policy objectivity—mea culpa—but for all the right reasons, as I believed then and still do.

Now I think Obama was right to do that mea culpa bit last week.

At the end, the two embraced and Eminem flicked off the crowd, a middle-finger mea culpa.

The right thing to do would be a formal mea culpa from the author.

I know too well how little I profited by all his warnings, and I cry, Mea culpa.

For this, I can only beat my breast violently and mutter mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

If he had been differently brought up, he might have beaten his breast and cried, "Mea culpa!"

He closeth his eyes and saith his mea culpa and setteth all his hopes in God.

T is my ungoverned spirit hath wrought all this mischief,—mea culpa!

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