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culpa

American  
[kuhl-puh, kool-pah] / ˈkʌl pə, ˈkʊl pɑ /

noun

plural

culpae
  1. Roman and Civil Law. negligence; neglect (dolus ).

    One is not always liable before law for culpa resulting in damages.

  2. guilt; sin.


culpa British  
/ ˈkʊlpɑː /

noun

  1. civil law an act of neglect

  2. a fault; sin; guilt

"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

Etymology

Origin of culpa

1250–1300; Old English < Latin: fault, liability, blame

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Steyer has endorsed them, but it’s never too late for a mea culpa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nuzzi’s aim in offering this account remains cloudy, but readers looking for a mea culpa won’t find it here.

From Los Angeles Times

Joz, along with Federighi, delivered the mea culpa that Apple’s AI efforts so far haven’t met the company’s high quality standards.

From The Wall Street Journal

Montier’s mea culpa came in 2022, when he reflected on why his argument had been so wrong.

From MarketWatch

“Sometimes you say ‘Mea culpa, we were wrong.

From Los Angeles Times