Pronunciation: [kˈʌlpɹɪt] (IPA) 
The word "culprit" is spelled with a "c-u-l-p-r-i-t." In IPA phonetic transcription, it is pronounced as /ˈkʌlpɹɪt/. The first sound is "k" as in "car," followed by "u" as in "up," "l" as in "love," "p" as in "pen," "r" as in "rat," "i" as in "it," and "t" as in "talk." The word is commonly used to refer to someone who is responsible for a crime or wrongdoing.
A culprit, as defined in the dictionary, is a person or entity that is responsible for committing a crime, wrongdoing, or misdeed. It refers to someone who is identified as the guilty party or one who is found to be at fault for an offense. The term "culprit" typically emphasizes the element of blame or responsibility for an act that is deemed illegal, immoral, or harmful.
In legal contexts, a culprit is the individual who is accused or charged with being directly involved in the commission of a crime. They are seen as the primary actor responsible for initiating or orchestrating the illegal activity. This can range from minor offenses to more serious criminal acts that violate laws and social norms.
Beyond legal matters, the term "culprit" is also used more broadly in everyday language to describe someone who is held accountable for any unfavorable or undesirable outcome. It can refer to someone who is responsible for causing a problem, creating an issue, or being the source of a specific difficulty or negative consequence.
The word "culprit" carries connotations of guilt, culpability, and often evokes a negative evaluation of the individual's actions. It suggests not only the identification or discovery of the wrongdoer but also the desire to hold them accountable through appropriate legal or moral procedures.
A person accused of a crime; one convicted of a crime; a criminal.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "culprit" originated in Middle English from the Old French term "cul(p)rit". It is derived from the combination of two elements: "cul" meaning "bottom" or "buttocks" (from the Latin word "culus") and "prit" meaning "captured" or "taken" (from the Old French word "pris" meaning "taken", past participle of "prendre" which means "to take"). Thus, "culprit" literally referred to a person who has been "taken by the buttocks", implying someone who has been caught in the act of a crime or offense. Over time, the term came to be used more generally as a noun meaning the person responsible for a misdeed or offense.
