Guiltiness
/ˈɡɪlt.i.nəs/noun
The state or quality of being guilty.
Did you know?“Guilt” comes from an Old English word meaning both “sin” and “debt,” so in early English thought, wrongdoing wasn’t just emotional — it was something you owed.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gheldh-
“to pay, owe, or be indebted”
Old English
OE
gylt
“a sin, crime, or fault”
Middle English
ME
gilt
“fault, offense, guilt”
Middle English
ME
giltinesse
“the state of being guilty”
Modern English
English
guiltiness
“the state or quality of being guilty”