culprit

[ kuhl-prit ]

noun

1. a person or other agent guilty of or responsible for an offense or fault.
2. a person arraigned for an offense.

culprit

/ ˈkʌlprɪt /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of culprit¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of culprit¹

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

Example Sentences

The results showed that precipitation, not temperature, was the main culprit of glacier fluctuation during around 4,500, of the past 6,000 years, or 76 percent of the time.

From Science Daily

“Schools have disciplinary boards to be consistent in punishment and to make sure the facts are investigated and that the true culprits are brought to answer,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead the Human Cell Atlas project has revealed there are thousands of cell types, with some appearing to be culprits in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and cystic fibrosis.

From BBC

This time around, the culprit was a steep hill that the 74-year-old comedian misjudged.

From Los Angeles Times

Another big component of housing is supply — the lack of which economists tend to single out as the main culprit driving rents and home prices higher.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• criminal
• felon
• fugitive
• miscreant
• offender
• wrongdoer