noun The person or thing responsible for a problem, crime, or wrongdoing.
- I have tightened the loose bolt that was the culprit; it should work now.
- The culprit behind the power outage turned out to be a fallen tree.
- Railway police are making a full investigation into the matter, and the headmasters of schools have been approached, but it is difficult in such cases to discover the culprits, unless they are caught red-handed.
— , Wanton Damage in Trains (1960)
- But the Dutch dominated only to waste numerous efforts, with Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie the main culprits.
— Owen Phillips, Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark (2012)
- Police finally identified the culprit behind the break-ins.
- Too much sugar is often the real culprit behind afternoon energy crashes.
