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culpa

American

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

noun

plural

culpae

Roman and Civil Law. negligence; neglect (distinguished from dolus).

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

culpa British

/ ˈkʊlpɑː /

noun

civil law an act of neglect
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.

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

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

From MarketWatch • Nov. 24, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

A senior Tory told me after the election defeat the party had to "go everywhere and do a mea culpa, to listen and take a kicking".

From BBC • Oct. 4, 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