culpable

In a sentence.

1. 01

   The inquiry found the contractor culpable for the delay.

2. 02

   She felt culpable for staying silent after spotting the error.

Where it came from.

English took culpable from Old French, which drew on Latin culpābilis, ‘blameworthy.’ Behind it is culpa, a fault or offense—the same root you can hear in mea culpa.

Why it’s interesting.

It names responsibility without saying anything about a person's intentions. Someone can be culpable even when the harm was unintended.