French word

coupable

Pronunciation

IPA/kupabl/

Meaning

  • adjectiveguilty

Example

La cour l'a reconnu coupable.

The court found him guilty.

Illustration for coupable (guilty)

More examples

Ses remarques m'ont fait sentir coupable.

His remarks made me feel guilty.

Core concept

A person marked as responsible for a wrongful act, whether judged morally or in court.

Common phrases

  • faire sentir coupable

    make ___ feel guilty

  • se croire coupable

    believe oneself guilty

Similar words

responsable: Accountable for a particular event, error, or offense.
criminel: Involving crime or characteristic of a criminal.

Definition in French

S'utilise pour indiquer qu'une personne a commis une faute ou un délit et en porte la responsabilité morale ou pénale.

Word origin

French coupable comes through Old French from Latin culpabilis, meaning liable for blame, derived from culpa, or fault.

Usage tips

  • The usual construction is coupable de followed by a noun or infinitive, as in coupable de vol or coupable d'avoir menti.

Opposites

Related words

  • coupabilisermake ___ feel guiltyverb
  • coupabilitéculpabilitynoun

Word lists with this word