culpa

/ˈkul.pa/
nounIntermediate
general

Responsibility for a wrongdoing or mistake; blame.

No fue mi culpa, fue un accidente.

It wasn't my fault, it was an accident.

💡

Often used in legal or moral contexts to assign responsibility.

psychology

A feeling of guilt or remorse for having done something wrong.

Siente mucha culpa por lo que pasó.

He feels a lot of guilt about what happened.

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In psychology, 'culpa' refers to the emotional state rather than the act itself.

Collocations

tener la culpato be to blameechar la culpato blame someonesin culpawithout fault

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

culpa ex delictophrase
fault due to a wrongful act
culpa in contrahendophrase
fault in the process of contracting

💡Pro Tip

Legal vs. Emotional Use

In legal contexts, 'culpa' refers to liability, while in psychology, it refers to the emotional state of guilt.

Gold Rule

Avoid Overuse

Be careful not to overuse 'culpa' in casual conversation, as it can sound overly formal or accusatory.

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'culpa', meaning 'fault' or 'blame'.

📝Usage Notes

'Culpa' is often used in legal contexts to assign blame, but it can also refer to personal feelings of guilt.

Word Breakdown

culp-
fault
root
+
-a
noun ending
suffix
Diccionario Español-Inglés