# culpable

/ˈkəɫpəbəɫ/ (US) · /kˈʌlpəbəl/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/culpable
Updated: 2026-05-19

## Definition

describing someone who is responsible for a crime or a bad situation. You use this when you want to say that a person's actions caused a problem.

For teachers: deserving blame or punishment for a crime or fault. Often used in legal or formal contexts to describe the degree of responsibility for an offence.

## Examples

- The driver was found culpable for the accident.
- The investigation concluded that the manager was culpable for the safety violations that led to the factory fire.
- While the primary cause of the financial collapse was systemic, the board was found culpable for failing to monitor the risk levels of the high-stakes investments.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.