Culprit
'kʌlprɪt
Definitions
2 meaningsA person who is responsible for a crime or other wrongdoing.
'kʌlprɪt
A person responsible for a crime or other wrongdoing.
The police are looking for the culprit who vandalized the school.
💡 Simply: Imagine your cookies went missing! The culprit is the person who ate them (even if it was you!). It's the person who did something wrong.
👶 For kids: The person who did something bad or wrong.
More Examples
The dog was the culprit who ate my homework.
Detectives are still trying to identify the culprit behind the cyber attack.
How It's Used
"The police are searching for the culprit of the bank robbery."
"Investigators are trying to determine the culprit behind the data breach."
A person or thing that is responsible for a problem or negative situation.
'kʌlprɪt
A person or thing considered responsible for a problem or a bad situation.
The high cost of living is the primary culprit for people's financial struggles.
💡 Simply: Let's say your plants died. The culprit could be not enough water. It's the thing that caused the problem.
👶 For kids: The thing that caused the problem.
More Examples
The rain was the culprit that spoiled our outdoor picnic.
Stress can be a major culprit in various health issues.
How It's Used
"Climate change is often considered the culprit behind many natural disasters."
"Lack of exercise was a major culprit of his health problems."
Idioms & expressions
to finger the culprit
To identify or accuse the person responsible.
"The detective finally fingered the culprit after weeks of investigation."
From Anglo-Norman *culpable* ('guilty'), from Latin *culpa* ('fault'). Originally used in legal contexts.
In older texts, the word often referred specifically to the defendant in a criminal trial.
Memory tip
Think 'guilty culprit' to remember the meaning - the person is responsible.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: culpa