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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.

Nuzzi’s aim in offering this account remains cloudy, but readers looking for a mea culpa won’t find it here.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

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

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