culpa
Americannoun
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Roman and Civil Law. negligence; neglect (distinguished from dolus).
One is not always liable before law for culpa resulting in damages.
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guilt; sin.
noun
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civil law an act of neglect
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a fault; sin; guilt
Other Word Forms
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.
Three months later, I published a mea culpa, in which I renounced my support for Trump and apologized for my hurtful deeds and rhetoric.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
That led Judge Perry to retort: “You are significantly undercutting your mea culpa here by standing behind the charges and continuing to vilify these particular defendants.”
From Slate • May 22, 2026
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 • Dec. 3, 2025
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 • Nov. 25, 2025
I'm not blaming anyone for this state of affairs, mind you; nor merely crying mea culpa.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
