From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishculpablecul‧pa‧ble /ˈkʌlpəbəl/ adjective 1 formalGUILTY deserving blame Both parties were held to be to some extent culpable.► see thesaurus at guilty2 lawSCC a culpable action is one that is considered criminalculpable homicide/negligence etc He pleaded guilty to culpable homicide. —culpably adverb —culpability /ˌkʌlpəˈbɪləti/ noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
culpable• If people develop smoking-related diseases, are they or the tobacco companies culpable?• Both individual men and the political movements men have made within the working class are culpable.• Still, he would have done if it hadn't slipped his mind, and surely the intention made him culpable.• At the same time, the culpable faction is viewed as exempt from organizational control.• Sloppy accounting was culpable for the shortfall in revenue.• He would immortalize Jack and vindicate himself from his culpable grief by becoming what Jack would have been.• In that lack of concern, he was no more or less culpable than his predecessors.• The oil companies are culpable too.culpable homicide/negligence etc• Yesterday, the Crown accepted a guilty plea to the reduced charge of culpable homicide.• Sutherland has denied the culpable homicide of Mr Buckley.Origin culpable (1200-1300) Old French coupable, from Latin culpabilis, from culpare “to blame”, from culpa “guilt” 