culprit

Culprit is a noun referring to a person who is thought to be responsible for a crime or wrongful act. In everyday language, it is often used to identify the person feared to be the offender, sometimes before a formal determination of guilt. The term can also be used more loosely to denote the person or thing that caused a problem, as in “the culprit behind the leak.”

Etymology and history: The word derives from Old French and Latin roots related to blame and fault, with the English noun appearing in Middle English to designate the person charged with a crime. Over time, its use broadened beyond strictly legal contexts to encompass anyone deemed responsible for an undesired outcome.

Usage and tone: Culprit carries a moral or accusatory connotation, implying fault or responsibility. In formal legal settings, more precise terms such as suspect, accused, defendant, or perpetrator are preferred. In journalism and everyday speech, “culprit” is common when the speaker believes the person is guilty or when describing the source of a problem, though it can juridically overstate the degree of certainty.

See also: Perpetrator, offender, wrongdoer, suspect, accused. While closely related, these terms vary in formality and evidentiary weight, with culprit most often signaling blame in a narrative sense rather than a final legal verdict.