# culprit

/ˈkəɫpɹɪt/ (US) · /kˈʌlpɹɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/culprit
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. person at fault

noun · CEFR B2

the person who is responsible for a crime or for doing something wrong.

For teachers: the individual responsible for a specific offence, misdeed, or crime.

- The police are still looking for the culprit who stole the car.
- After a lengthy investigation, the police finally identified the culprit responsible for the series of thefts in the downtown area.

Usage: Often used with the definite article 'the' when the specific person is known or being sought.

### 2. cause of a problem

noun · CEFR B2

the thing that is causing a problem or making something fail.

For teachers: the primary cause of a problem, defect, or negative outcome.

- It turns out a loose wire was the culprit for the power cut.
- Medical researchers identified high sugar intake as the main culprit behind the recent rise in metabolic disorders.

Usage: Commonly used in technical or medical contexts to describe an inanimate cause of failure.

## Examples

- The broken window was the culprit for the draft.
- Police identified the suspect as the main culprit in the bank robbery.
- After months of investigation, the committee finally identified poor communication as the primary culprit behind the project's failure.

---

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.