culpability

Sometimes culpa·ble·ness

[kuhl-puh-bil-i-tee]

noun

1. guilt or blame that is deserved; blameworthiness.

Other Word Forms

• nonculpability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of culpability¹

culpabl(e) + -ity

Example Sentences

A 1972 inquiry into the killings cleared the soldiers of culpability, but was widely seen by Catholics as a whitewash.

Read more on Barron's

The agency also said that it is still unclear whether there is any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body.

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He admitted full culpability on Tuesday, during the trial's second day.

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Gandbhir, though, trusts our instincts for clarity, confident that the accumulation of incidents makes the culpability unmistakable.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At this time, police say they do not know if there is “any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accountability 
• guilt 

When To Use

What does culpability mean?

Culpability is the quality of being culpable—deserving blame for a crime or wrongdoing.When someone is described as culpable for something, it means it’s their fault or that they are guilty of it. Culpability is the guilt or blame that a person deserves.The words culpable and culpability are typically used in serious legal contexts involving crimes.Example: It’s the job of a jury to assign or reject culpability for a crime.