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 Easterbrook
Examples 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
Poppe has been focused on turning around the company’s operations, safety record, and culture, after PG&E’s culpability in the 2018 Camp wildfire put the utility into bankruptcy.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024
This is particularly important, given that Israel’s killing of Ismail Haniyeh—who, even with his clear culpability for acts of terrorism, was advocating a cease-fire—may have weakened other proponents of negotiation within Hamas.
—Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2024
His attorney, Erica Wolff, issued a statement on Oct. 1 denying his culpability in the upcoming wave of suits.
—William Earl, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
The initial SolarWinds charges seemed to mirror those for more traditional corporate fraud, in which a company’s CEO or CFO is also personally charged for their culpability and to hold a person accountable.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for culpability 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Diane Brady, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024
This is particularly important, given that Israel’s killing of Ismail Haniyeh—who, even with his clear culpability for acts of terrorism, was advocating a cease-fire—may have weakened other proponents of negotiation within Hamas.
—Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2024
His attorney, Erica Wolff, issued a statement on Oct. 1 denying his culpability in the upcoming wave of suits.
—William Earl, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
The initial SolarWinds charges seemed to mirror those for more traditional corporate fraud, in which a company’s CEO or CFO is also personally charged for their culpability and to hold a person accountable.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for culpability
Dictionary Entries Near culpability
Cite this Entry
“Culpability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culpability. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share