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
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Recent Examples of culpability
Implying that the chatbot and image generation program itself is accountable allows people to hide from their own culpability in the bot’s shadow.
—
James Folta, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
When Congress was writing the drug laws in the 1980s and ‘90s, it was thought that higher purity in meth suggested greater culpability.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026
Roughly 1,000 people had accepted culpability and pleaded guilty.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
In his complaint, Hernandez claimed Ziering knowingly lied to law enforcement to avoid his own culpability, resulting in his wrongful arrest and incarceration.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culpability
James Folta, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
When Congress was writing the drug laws in the 1980s and ‘90s, it was thought that higher purity in meth suggested greater culpability.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026
Roughly 1,000 people had accepted culpability and pleaded guilty.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
In his complaint, Hernandez claimed Ziering knowingly lied to law enforcement to avoid his own culpability, resulting in his wrongful arrest and incarceration.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for culpability
Recent Examples of Synonyms for culpability
Noun
-
When a team has a losing or mediocre season over several seasons shouldn’t the coach take some of the blame.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
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Hopes for a quick resolution to the Homeland Security spending bill dimmed Thursday as negotiations devolved into a blame game among Republicans and Democrats over who should be talking to whom.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Much of it is guilt by association — on the grounds, if nothing else, that elites should have known better than to associate with such a man.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The files are not findings of guilt, and some critics have raised concerns about releasing confidential and uncorroborated material concerning those who have not been charged with a crime.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/culpability. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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