noun / verb
fault
FAWLT/fɔːlt/
Responsibility for something wrong.
She admits that the mistake is her fault.
Etymology
Latin fallere meant “deceive” or “disappoint”; fault developed through meanings such as “shortcoming” and “deficiency.” The shift from a deficiency to moral culpability connects it to responsibility for something going wrong.
In context
nickel tells Mia that it's not her fault that the government took their daughter Yuma
More examples
- I cannot fault him for being cautious.
- They faulted the company for ignoring warnings.
- Whose fault was the broken window?
Forms
fault · faults · faulted · faulting