NYT Dictionary

CULPRIT

/ˈkʌlpɹɪt/
NounCUL-pritcul-prit · 2 syllablesGrade 6

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2020

Meaning

The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime.

Etymology

Origin: Latin

From Anglo-Norman cul. prit, contraction of culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) 'guilty: ready (to prove our case)', words used by prosecutor in opening a trial, mistaken in English for an address to the defendant. See culpable. It may have been influenced by Latin culpa (“blame, fault”).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

perpetratorcriminaldelinquentfelonmalefactoroffendersinnertransgressorwrongdoer

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2018, 2020.

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