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culprit

[ kuhl-prit ]
/ ˈkʌl prÉȘt /
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See synonyms for: culprit / culprits on Thesaurus.com

noun
a person or other agent guilty of or responsible for an offense or fault.
a person arraigned for an offense.
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Origin of culprit

1670–80; traditionally explained as cul (representing Latin culpābilis guilty) + prit (representing Anglo-French prest ready), marking the prosecution as ready to prove the defendant's guilt. See culpable, presto
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use culprit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for culprit

culprit
/ (ˈkʌlprÉȘt) /

noun
law a person awaiting trial, esp one who has pleaded not guilty
the person responsible for a particular offence, misdeed, etc

Word Origin for culprit

C17: from Anglo-French cul-, short for culpable guilty + prit ready, indicating that the prosecution was ready to prove the guilt of the one charged
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
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