‖n. [ L. ] (Law) Negligence or fault, as distinguishable from dolus (deceit, fraud), which implies intent, culpa being imputable to defect of intellect, dolus to defect of heart. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Culpabilities [ Cf. F. culpabilité. ] The state of being culpable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. culpable, coulpable, coupable, F. coupable, formerly also coupable, formerly also coulpable, culpable, fr. L. culpabilis, fr. culpare to blame, fr. culpa fault. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Deserving censure; worthy of blame; faulty; immoral; criminal. State Trials (1413). [ 1913 Webster ]

If he acts according to the best reason he hath, he is not culpable, though he be mistaken in his measures. Sharp. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Guilty; as, culpable of a crime. [ Obs. ] Spenser.

-- Cul"pa*ble*ness, n. -- Cul"pa*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Expressing blame; censuring; reprehensory; inculpating. [ 1913 Webster ]

Adjectives . . . commonly used by Latian authors in a culpatory sense. Walpole. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disculpated; p. pr. & vb. n. Disculpating. ] [ LL. disculpatus, p. p. of disculpare to disculpate; dis- + L. culpare to blame, culpa fault. ] To free from blame or the imputation of a fault; to exculpate. [ 1913 Webster ]

I almost fear you think I begged it, but I can disculpate myself. Walpole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. disculpation. ] Exculpation. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to exculpate; exculpatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

Capable of being exculpated; deserving exculpation. Sir G. Buck. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Exculpated p. pr. & vb. n.. Exculpating (&unr_;). ] [ L. ex out + culpatus, p. p. of culpare to find fault with, to blame, culpa fault. See Culpable. ] To clear from alleged fault or guilt; to prove to be guiltless; to relieve of blame; to acquit. [ 1913 Webster ]

He exculpated himself from being the author of the heroic epistle. Mason. [ 1913 Webster ]

I exculpate him further for his writing against me. Milman.

Syn. -- To exonerate; absolve; clear; acquit; excuse; vindicate; justify. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. freed from any question of guilt; having suspicion of guilt eliminated.
Syn. -- absolved, cleared, exonerated, vindicated. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ Cf. LL. exculpatio. ] The act of exculpating from alleged fault or crime; that which exculpates; excuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

These robbers, however, were men who might have made out a strong case in exculpation of themselves. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

Clearing, or tending to clear, from alleged fault or guilt; excusing. “An exculpatory letter.” Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. inculpabilis: cf. F. incupable. ] Faultless; blameless; innocent. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

An innocent and incupable piece of ignorance. Killingbeck. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Blamelessness; faultlessness. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Blamelessly. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Inculpated p. pr. & vb. n. Inculpating ] [ LL. inculpatus, p. p. of inculpare to blame; pref. in- in + culpa fault. See Culpable. ] [ A word of recent introduction. ] To blame; to impute guilt to; to accuse; to involve or implicate in guilt. Contrasted with exculpate. [ 1913 Webster ]

That risk could only exculpate her and not inculpate them -- the probabilities protected them so perfectly. H. James. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. inculpation. ] Blame; censure; crimination. Jefferson. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. Inculpatory. [ Narrower terms: accusatorial, accusatory, accusing; comminatory, denunciative, denunciatory; condemnatory, condemning ; criminative, criminatory, incriminating, incriminatory ; damnatory, damning ; recriminative, recriminatory ] Also See: guilty.
Syn. -- inculpatory. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Imputing blame; causing blame to be imputed to; criminatory; compromising; implicating. Opposite of exculpatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inculpable; not blameworthy. [ R. ] Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]