culpable
Deserving blame or held responsible for wrongdoing
Examples
In a meeting
“The investigation determined that management was culpable for the safety violations.”
Over coffee
“If you knew about the problem and said nothing, you're somewhat culpable too.”
Why this word
guilty
culpable means deserving blame or having fault, while guilty is a formal legal verdict or admission of wrongdoing
blameworthy
culpable is the standard legal and formal term, while blameworthy is more colloquial and less precise
responsible
culpable implies moral or legal fault deserving punishment, while responsible can mean merely causally connected without blame
Usage tip
Implies moral or legal blameworthiness; stronger than simply 'responsible' as it suggests fault.
Etymology
Latin 'culpabilis' from 'culpare' (to blame), from 'culpa' (fault, blame)
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Related words
handoff
The transfer of responsibility from one person to another
disclaim
To deny responsibility or connection with something
inherit
Receive responsibilities, problems, or assets from a predecessor
enjoin
To legally prohibit or order someone to do or not do something
proscribe
To officially forbid or condemn something
severability
The legal principle that if one part of a contract is invalid, the rest remains enforceable