culprit
culprit definition
cul·prit (kul′prit)
noun
- a person guilty of a crime or offense; offender
- Archaic a person accused of a crime, esp. by arraignment before a law court
Etymology: < Anglo-Fr cul. prit, contr. for phr. culpable, prit (a averer nostre bille), lit., guilty, ready (to prove our case): words used by prosecutor in opening case < culpable (see culpable) + prit, for OFr prest < LL praestus, ready
Browse dictionary definitions near culprit
Also Mentioned In