adjective / noun
guilty
GIL-tee/ˈɡɪlti/
Bearing responsibility for wrongdoing.
The girl looks guilty beside the ball and broken flowerpot.
Etymology
Built on a word for crime or failure of duty, guilty first described someone who had done wrong. Its application to conscience and feelings extended it to the inward experience of blame.
In context
In April 2025, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter, rejecting murder, but confirming that Williams' actions caused the fatal outcome.
More examples
- She pleads guilty to stealing a car.
- The law should protect the innocent and punish the guilty.
- I feel guilty about forgetting my sister's birthday.
Forms
guilty · guiltier · guiltiest
guilt noun — Responsibility for an offense or wrongdoing.
guiltily adverb — In a way that shows guilt.
Similar words
- culpable
- Emphasizes deserving blame, even without a formal legal finding.
- responsible
- Can also describe duties or causes without implying wrongdoing.