culpability
noun
cul·pa·bil·i·ty
ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 
: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure : the quality or state of being culpable
moral/legal/criminal culpability
He refuses to acknowledge his own culpability.
Culpability for our failure to reduce petroleum imports falls across the political spectrum.—
Gregg Easterbrook
Gregg EasterbrookExamples of culpability in a Sentence
cannot find culpability where there is neither knowledge that a crime has been committed nor evidence of intent to commit a crime
Recent Examples on the Web
Max was reportedly considering an exit from the team, and many believe the exit of the team's centerpiece scared the higher-ups into axing Horner.
Both Max and Jos, however, deny culpability in the matter.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
Eventually, the idea of contamination becomes more metaphorical, providing an image or a reference point for how Tabo’s culpability, and that of his mother, spreads to the three central characters.
—Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Lerner’s statement, naturally, made no mention of ownership’s own culpability.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 7 July 2025
This judgement allows for a potential misreading of Combs' culpability more broadly going forward.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for culpability
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
Eventually, the idea of contamination becomes more metaphorical, providing an image or a reference point for how Tabo’s culpability, and that of his mother, spreads to the three central characters.
—Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Lerner’s statement, naturally, made no mention of ownership’s own culpability.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 7 July 2025
This judgement allows for a potential misreading of Combs' culpability more broadly going forward.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for culpability
Cite this Entry
“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culpability. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share