guiltier; guiltiest
1
: justly chargeable with or responsible for a usually grave breach of conduct or a crime
Does the defendant plead guilty or not guilty?
2
a
: suggesting or involving guilt
The children exchanged guilty looks.
b
: aware of or suffering from guilt
guilty consciences
3
obsolete : justly liable to or deserving of a penalty
guiltily adverb
guiltiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for guilty

blameworthy, blamable, guilty, culpable mean deserving reproach or punishment.

blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.

conduct adjudged blameworthy
an accident for which no one is blamable

guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

guilty of a breach of etiquette

culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

culpable neglect

Examples of guilty in a Sentence

Do you think he's innocent or guilty? Will the defendant plead guilty or not guilty? The children exchanged guilty looks. He was acting like someone with a guilty conscience. There's no need to feel guilty about it.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The other Cantu, who was found guilty of murdering his cousin and his fiancée in 2001, was executed on Feb. 28, 2024, despite a public campaign to reconsider the decision when a key witness recanted their testimony. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025 Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes reports to prison for defrauding investors Holmes, 41, was found guilty of four counts of investor fraud and conspiracy in January 2022 and sentenced to 135 months, or 11 1/4 years, in prison. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2025 After being found guilty by a Spanish court of kissing Spain’s Jenni Hermoso without consent, Luis Rubiales has failed with a bid to overturn a three-year ban from football. Phil Hay, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 Baldwin pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in January 2024, while the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Marc Berman, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for guilty

Word History

Etymology

see guilt entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guilty was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Guilty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilty. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

guilty

adjective
guiltier; guiltiest
1
: having done wrong
2
a
: suggesting or involving guilt
a guilty manner
b
: aware of or suffering from guilt
a guilty conscience
guiltily adverb
guiltiness noun

Legal Definition

guilty

1 of 2 adjective
guiltier; guiltiest
1
: having committed a crime : justly charged with a specified crime
guilty of larceny
2
: involving guilt or culpability
guilty knowledge

guilty

2 of 2 noun
1
: a plea of a criminal defendant who does not intend to contest the charges
2
: a verdict of a jury that believes the defendant committed the crime charged compare nolo contendere, not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity

More from Merriam-Webster on guilty

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