culprit

IPA

The Complete Vocabulary Builder Workbook

Dictionary definition of culprit

A person or thing that is responsible for committing a crime, error, or wrongdoing.
"The police are still searching for the culprit of the robbery."

Detailed meaning of culprit

It is often used in the context of criminal investigations to refer to the person who committed the crime. The term can also be used more generally to refer to someone or something that is responsible for causing a problem or situation. For example, a company might refer to a specific component as the culprit if it is causing a malfunction in their product. In a more general sense, it can also refer to something that is causing a problem or inconvenience without necessarily being illegal or immoral.

Example sentences containing culprit

1. The detective was determined to apprehend the real culprit behind the theft.
2. It took months to identify the culprit responsible for the data breach.
3. The true culprit of the accident was a malfunctioning brake system.
4. The team worked tirelessly to uncover the culprit in the corporate scandal.
5. The culprit behind the mysterious disappearance was finally revealed.
6. DNA evidence pointed to a different culprit in the murder case.

History and etymology of culprit

The noun 'culprit' has an etymology that can be traced back to Old English and Middle English. It is derived from the Old English word 'culpra,' which means 'fault' or 'sin,' and it later evolved into 'culprit' in Middle English. 'Culprit' entered the English language in the late Middle Ages and is used to describe a person or thing that is responsible for committing a crime, error, or wrongdoing. Its etymology underscores the association with fault or guilt, as implied by its Old English origins in 'culpra,' highlighting the idea that a culprit is someone or something that bears the responsibility for a particular offense or misdeed.

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Further usage examples of culprit

1. The investigator followed every lead to track down the elusive culprit.
2. The employee refused to reveal the identity of the culprit who stole office supplies.
3. The community was shocked to learn that the trusted neighbor was the culprit.
4. The culprit of the graffiti incident turned out to be a bored teenager.
5. The security cameras captured images of the suspect, but not the true culprit.
6. She was wrongly accused of being the culprit in the classroom disruption.
7. The police had a difficult time identifying the masked culprit.
8. The culprit responsible for the online harassment was finally unmasked.
9. Fingerprints led to the arrest of the real culprit in the burglary.
10. The detective couldn't ignore the evidence pointing to a new culprit.
11. The organization took measures to prevent the culprit from striking again.
12. The culprit behind the vandalism left behind a trail of destruction.
13. The whistleblower exposed the corrupt practices of the true culprit.
14. The victim forgave the young culprit who had taken their bicycle.
15. The culprit confessed to the crime, bringing closure to the case.
16. The authorities were determined to bring the criminal culprit to justice.
17. The lawyer argued that the true culprit had not been identified.
18. The culprit behind the counterfeit money operation remained elusive.
19. The neighborhood rallied to find the culprit responsible for the pet poisonings.