as in blame
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
cannot find culpability where there is neither knowledge that a crime has been committed nor evidence of intent to commit a crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in guilty
deserving reproach or blame
are you any less culpable for murder if you acted in the heat of passion?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of culpability
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2025
As Vahid enlists the services of acquaintances whose lives were also forever altered by Eghbal’s cruelties, the thirst for revenge and the sense of danger escalate—as do questions of moral choice and culpability.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Becca Longmire, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The Brazil international was partly culpable for a Manchester City goal on the opening day of the season, but few Wolves supporters expected to see him on the substitutes’ bench at Bournemouth, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde preferred as Joao Gomes’s midfield partner.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for culpability
Noun
Absolving the pitching staff of culpability in the Dodgers’ fall from the top is understandable.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2025
As Vahid enlists the services of acquaintances whose lives were also forever altered by Eghbal’s cruelties, the thirst for revenge and the sense of danger escalate—as do questions of moral choice and culpability.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The teen, whose mother also sobbed in court as her son was sentenced on Tuesday, had pleaded guilty to charges including culpable driving causing death, theft, and failing to render assistance in July, the Sydney Morning Herald noted.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The Brazil international was partly culpable for a Manchester City goal on the opening day of the season, but few Wolves supporters expected to see him on the substitutes’ bench at Bournemouth, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde preferred as Joao Gomes’s midfield partner.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for culpability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culpability
Noun
-
Jimmy Kimmel addressed the shooting death of Charlie Kirk on his ABC late night show on Thursday, this time calling out Donald Trump‘s casting of blame on the rhetoric of the left.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Kremlin, meanwhile, has also cast blame on Europe for creating obstacles to peace.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Carla White pleaded guilty to a felony count of being an accessory after the fact and a misdemeanor count of unauthorized furnishing of information.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Sep. 2025
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Dilone could face up to 20 years in prison if she’s found guilty.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That feeling of guilt, in other words, can be better described as fear of missing out.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Whether tackling working-parent guilt or the challenges of caring for a newborn, some of the most popular video games are telling stories that tap into contemporary anxieties about parenting.—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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His Stoic Challenge framework invites you to see a setback not as something terrible, blameworthy or unfair but instead as a test of your ingenuity and resilience.—
Hanna Hart,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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But Miss Manners acknowledges that there is also the less blameworthy impulse to offer comfort — not just sympathy — when there is no real comfort to be offered.—
Judith Martin,
The Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culpability. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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