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guilty

adj.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɡɪɫti// UK //ɡˈɪlti// guilty General-service

adj. feeling bad because you did something wrong, or being officially blamed for a crime in court. You feel this way when you know you broke a rule or hurt someone.

adj. responsible for a specified offence or crime; also experiencing a sense of remorse or self-reproach for a perceived inadequacy or wrongdoing. Often used in legal contexts to indicate a formal verdict.


SIMPLE

He feels guilty about forgetting his mother's birthday.

CONTEXTUAL

The jury deliberated for three hours before returning a guilty verdict in the fraud case.

COMPLEX

While the defendant maintained his innocence throughout the trial, the overwhelming forensic evidence eventually led to a guilty conviction on all counts.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English gilty, gulty, from Old English gyltiġ (“offending, guilty”); equivalent to guilt + -y.

Usage

Commonly takes the preposition 'of' when referring to a crime or 'about' when referring to an emotion.

Pitfall

he was found guilty for murderhe was found guilty of murderThe adjective takes the preposition 'of' to indicate the specific crime committed.

Idioms1 entry

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