Synonyms of culpable

culpable

adjective

ˈkəl-pə-bəl 

as in guilty

deserving reproach or blame

are you any less culpable for murder if you acted in the heat of passion?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• guilty
• blameworthy
• punishable
• reckless
• reprehensible
• blamable
• bad
• censurable
• at fault
• criminal
• reproachable
• improper
• foolish
• wrongful
• sinful
• irresponsible
• illegal
• wicked
• unlawful
• indictable
• illicit
• chargeable
• impeachable
• illegitimate
• disciplinable
• amerciable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blameless
• perfect
• faultless
• impeccable
• pure
• flawless
• irreproachable
• innocent
• guiltless

Synonym Chooser

How is the word culpable different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of culpable are blamable, blameworthy, and guilty. While all these words mean "deserving reproach or punishment," culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

culpable neglect

How are the words blameworthy and blamable related as synonyms of culpable?

Both blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.

conduct adjudged blameworthy

an accident for which no one is blamable

When could guilty be used to replace culpable?

While in some cases nearly identical to culpable, guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

guilty of a breach of etiquette

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of culpable

And every team is culpable because players will eat each other alive for a roster spot. —Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024

Washington should move away from counterproductive embargoes against Cuba and Venezuela and employ more targeted tools, such as sanctions that punish culpable individuals, not whole nations. —Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2020

By extension, then, those expressing concern about Trump’s politics were culpable for the shooting — a link made more explicit by some in Trump’s orbit. —Philip Bump, Washington Post, 15 July 2024

Cosmetic chemist Javon Ford has a theory that titanium oxide, rather than zinc, is most likely to be culpable for the egregious white cast. —Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 7 July 2024