Dictionary

culprit en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkʌlpɹɪt/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman cul. prit, contraction of culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) 'guilty: ready (to prove our case)', words used by prosecutor in opening a trial, mistaken in English for an address to the defendant. See culpable. It may have been influenced by Latin culpa (“blame, fault”).

Meanings

1. The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime.
   • But the Dutch dominated only to waste numerous efforts, with Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie the main culprits. 2012 June 9, Owen Phillips, “Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark”, in BBC Sport:
   • I have tightened the loose bolt that was the culprit; it should work now.
   • Railway police are making a full investigation into the matter, and the headmasters of schools have been approached, but it is difficult in such cases to discover the culprits, unless they are caught red-handed. 1960 May 14, “Wanton Damage in Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 300:
   • Another sits beneath the purple canopy—a lady, but alone. The diadem is on her cold and haughty brow; there is no pity in her stern aspect, and the smile on her lip bodes death. Before her stands the lovely culprit, whose fatal beauty, and still more fatal love, are about to be dearly requited. 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 145:
2. (UK) A prisoner accused but not yet tried.

Forms

Deriveds

nonculprit

Relateds

culpate · exculpate · culpable · disculpate · disculp · mea culpa · inculpate

Translations (82)

ru вино́вник (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · tr sanık (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · he אשם (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · id pelaku (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · az təqsirkar (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · mk ви́новник (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · cy euog (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ml കുറ്റവാളി (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ja 犯人 (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl podejrzany (person accused but not yet tried) · lv vaininieks (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ar جَانِي (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · az müqəssir (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ar مُجْرِم (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ar مُتَّهَم (person accused but not yet tried) · sv förövare (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · cmn 元凶 (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · wa coupåbe (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · de Täter (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · eu errudun (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl delikwentka (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · fr coupable (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · nl dader (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · fi syyllinen (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ru обвиня́емый (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl winowajca (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · nb synder (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · tr zanlı (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · tr mücrim (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · hu elkövető (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · hu bűnös (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · eo krimulo (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · az günahkar (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · th ผู้ร้าย (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · es nocente (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl podejrzana (person accused but not yet tried) · sv brottsling (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · nl schuldige (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · de Beklagter (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · tr suçlu (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · hu vádlott (person accused but not yet tried) · ru подследственный (person accused but not yet tried) · sw mkosaji (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl delikwent (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · th คนร้าย (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · de Missetäter (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ru подсуди́мый (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · id pembuat ulah (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · hu tettes (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ru подозреваемый (person accused but not yet tried) · fi syypää (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · la nocens (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · tr hükümlü (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl sprawczyni (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · lv vaininiece (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · sv gärningsman (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ga ciontach (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · el ένοχος (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · vi thủ phạm (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · de Schuldiger (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · cmn 肇因 (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · bg обвиняем (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · la reus (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · sh krivac (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · mk кри́вец (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ca culpable (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · es culpable (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · el φταίχτης (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pt culpado (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · la noxius (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · bg подсъдим (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · cs viník (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · cu виньникъ (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · ko 범인 (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · cmn 肇事者 (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl sprawca (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · it colpevole (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · sh vinovnik (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · pl winowajczyni (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · de Beschuldigter (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · it reo (person or thing at fault of problem or crime) · de Übeltäter (person or thing at fault of problem or crime)