culpa

[ kuhl-puh; Latin kool-pah ]

noun

, plural cul·pae [kuhl, -pee, kool, -pahy].

1. Roman and Civil Law. negligence; neglect ( dolus ):

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

2. guilt; sin.

culpa

/ ˈkʊlpɑː /

noun

1. civil law an act of neglect
2. a fault; sin; guilt

Word History and Origins

Origin of culpa¹

1250–1300; Old English < Latin: fault, liability, blame

Word History and Origins

Origin of culpa¹

Latin: fault

Example Sentences

Humbled by extreme backlash and facing monetary losses, this trio of toxicity issued their mea culpas only after there were no other words — or open right palms or rackets — to express themselves.

From Washington Post

This winter, Reply All’s probe into reported racism at Bon Appetit stirred up a firestorm about bias in Reply All’s own ranks, resulting in two producers stepping down and a mea culpa from the other hosts.

From Time

On August 17, just a few weeks before the fall campaign iced off, he had to go on national TV to offer a mea kinda sorta culpa.

From The Daily Beast

In Washington, where politicians have mastered the art of the mea culpa, those words would not normally warrant much attention.

From The Daily Beast

Like Gates, I also lost my policy objectivity—mea culpa—but for all the right reasons, as I believed then and still do.

From The Daily Beast

Now I think Obama was right to do that mea culpa bit last week.

From The Daily Beast

At the end, the two embraced and Eminem flicked off the crowd, a middle-finger mea culpa.

From The Daily Beast

I know too well how little I profited by all his warnings, and I cry, Mea culpa.

From Project Gutenberg

For this, I can only beat my breast violently and mutter mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

From Project Gutenberg

If he had been differently brought up, he might have beaten his breast and cried, "Mea culpa!"

From Project Gutenberg

Etiam si quis a culpa vacuus in amicitiam ejus inciderat, quotidiano usu per similisque ceteris efficiebatur.

From Project Gutenberg

He closeth his eyes and saith his mea culpa and setteth all his hopes in God.

From Project Gutenberg