# guilty

/ˈɡɪɫti/ (US) · /ɡˈɪlti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/guilty
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. legal verdict

adjective · CEFR B1

officially decided by a court to have committed a crime.

For teachers: judicially determined to have committed a specific offence. Often used as a complement after the verb 'find' or 'plead'.

- The jury found the man guilty of stealing the car after a long trial.
- After deliberating for three days, the jury returned a guilty verdict on all counts of fraud and conspiracy.

Usage: Commonly follows the verbs 'plead' or 'find'.

### 2. feeling remorse

adjective · CEFR B1

feeling bad or ashamed because you have done something wrong.

For teachers: experiencing a sense of remorse or self-reproach for a perceived moral or social transgression.

- I felt guilty about eating the last piece of cake without asking.
- She felt deeply guilty for missing her sister's graduation, even though the flight cancellation was beyond her control.

Usage: Often takes the preposition 'about' or 'for'.

### 3. responsible for a mistake

adjective · CEFR B2

responsible for doing something dishonest or wrong, even if it is not a crime.

For teachers: responsible for a specified error, lapse, or dishonest act. Used to assign blame in non-legal contexts.

- The manager was guilty of making a very poor decision that cost the company money.
- The report suggested that the administration was guilty of negligence in maintaining the safety equipment.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'of'.

## Examples

- He feels guilty about forgetting his mother's birthday.
- The jury deliberated for three hours before returning a guilty verdict in the fraud case.
- While the defendant maintained his innocence throughout the trial, the overwhelming forensic evidence eventually led to a guilty conviction on all counts.

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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.