faultworthy

Faultworthy is an adjective used to denote that someone or something is deserving of fault or blame. In contemporary English it is relatively uncommon and often replaced by terms such as blameworthy, reprehensible, or culpable. When used, faultworthy typically functions to emphasize normative judgment about responsibility for a fault, rather than a description of objective outcomes alone.

Etymologically, faultworthy is a straightforward compound of fault and worthy. It follows a pattern in English where an adjective is formed from a noun and the suffix worthy to indicate worthiness of a particular quality. The related noun form faultworthiness exists, referring to the degree to which something is deserving of fault or blame.

Usage and scope. In moral philosophy and literary criticism, faultworthy may be used to analyze actions, motives, or agents in terms of blame. It can help distinguish acts that are faulted from those that are merely unfortunate. In legal or formal contexts, faultworthy is rare and not a standard technical term; more precise language such as negligent, liable, or culpable is typically preferred. Because it is infrequent, writers should define the intended sense when using faultworthy to avoid ambiguity.

Examples are typically evaluative: “The executive’s reckless decision was faultworthy given the documented disregard for safety standards.” In analytical writing, the term signals a normative stance on responsibility rather than a purely descriptive account of consequences.

See also: blameworthiness, culpability, moral responsibility, fault, liability, negligence.