culprit etymology

Etymology:

• Old French: coulpable
• Latin: culpa ("fault, guilt")
• Proto-Indo-European root: *kel- ("to cover, conceal")

Meaning:

A person who is responsible for causing harm or damage, especially by illegal or immoral actions.

Origin:

The word "culprit" originally referred to a person who had been accused of a crime but not yet proven guilty. It was used in legal contexts to distinguish between those who had been found guilty and those who were still under investigation.

Over time, the meaning of "culprit" shifted to refer to anyone who was responsible for harm or damage, regardless of their legal status. It is now commonly used in both legal and non-legal contexts to describe people who have caused trouble or wrongdoing.

Examples:

• The police are searching for the culprit responsible for the bank robbery.
• The culprit in the office theft was discovered to be a disgruntled employee.
• The culprit behind the environmental disaster is still unknown.

culprit relate terms

• culpable

  Etymology Latin culpābĭlis deserving blame guilty Past Participle culpō to

• gulf

  Etymology The word gulf is derived from the Old French goulfe which in turn comes f