culpability
noun
cul·pa·bil·i·ty
ˌkəl-pə-ˈbi-lə-tē 
: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure : the quality or state of being culpable
moral/legal/criminal culpability
He refuses to acknowledge his own culpability.
Culpability for our failure to reduce petroleum imports falls across the political spectrum.—
Gregg Easterbrook
Gregg EasterbrookExamples of culpability in a Sentence
cannot find culpability where there is neither knowledge that a crime has been committed nor evidence of intent to commit a crime
Recent Examples on the Web
Even when confronted by Hector's niece Angela (Camila Rodriguez) the subject of his culpability doesn't come up.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
While Richard Leeds engaged in deliberate concealment, the court’s decision underscores the importance of individual culpability when assessing penalties.
—Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The commission’s summary of errors and of horrors, its assessment of culpability, its recommendations for the future—all of these help turn trauma into history.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Eoghan O’Connell’s role in both Shrewsbury goals was high on most culpability lists, as was a distinct lack of creativity in midfield and a failure to pose any kind of threat down the left side when Ryan Barnett was causing havoc down the opposite flank.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
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Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
While Richard Leeds engaged in deliberate concealment, the court’s decision underscores the importance of individual culpability when assessing penalties.
—Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The commission’s summary of errors and of horrors, its assessment of culpability, its recommendations for the future—all of these help turn trauma into history.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Eoghan O’Connell’s role in both Shrewsbury goals was high on most culpability lists, as was a distinct lack of creativity in midfield and a failure to pose any kind of threat down the left side when Ryan Barnett was causing havoc down the opposite flank.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for culpability
Cite this Entry
“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culpability. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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