culprit — a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈkʌlprɪt/
Example Sentences
- The real culprit behind my missing lunch was my own forgetfulness - I left it at home.
- After hours of investigation, they discovered that the cat was the culprit who knocked over the vase.
- The detective finally caught the culprit red-handed stealing bikes from the campus.
culprit
NOUN[/ˈkʌlprɪt/]
a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed
The detective finally caught the culprit hiding behind the museum curtain.
CULP(blame) + PRIT(print) — the muddy footPRIT(print) on the carpet easily placed the CULP(blame) on the hiding culprit.
Searching the dark airplane, the police looked inside the cockpit and finally caught the hiding culprit.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Anglo-Norman French 'culprit', derived from Old French 'culpable' (blameworthy) combined with 'prest' (ready). The term originated in English legal proceedings where a defendant was declared 'culprit' (guilty and ready to be tried).
Breakdown
culp- (from Latin culpa, blame/fault) + -rit (from Old French prest, ready) = culprit (one ready to be judged for blame)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The real culprit behind my missing lunch was my own forgetfulness - I left it at home.”
“After hours of investigation, they discovered that the cat was the culprit who knocked over the vase.”
“The detective finally caught the culprit red-handed stealing bikes from the campus.”
“Sugar is often considered the main culprit behind tooth decay.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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