Word of the Day

: September 24, 2007

exculpatory

adjective ek-SKUL-puh-tor-ee

What It Means

: tending or serving to clear from alleged fault or guilt

exculpatory in Context

The witness's exculpatory testimony convinced the jury to find the defendant not guilty.

Did You Know?

No one will blame you for having questions about the origins of "exculpatory." The adjective comes from a combination of the prefix "ex-," meaning "out of" or "away from," and the Latin noun "culpa," which means "blame" or "guilt." Something exculpatory, then, frees one from accusations. "Culpa" has given English a number of other words, including the verb "exculpate" ("to clear from alleged fault or guilt"). The related but lesser-known terms "inculpate" ("to incriminate") and "inculpatory" ("incriminating") are antonyms of "exculpate" and "exculpatory." "Culpable" is a synonym of "blameworthy," and "mea culpa" refers to a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error.