Guilty
/ˈɡɪlti/noun
Having committed a crime, offense, or wrong; responsible for an offense.
Did you know?The word descends from an Old English term tied to being “owing” or “deserving payment,” showing how moral blame was once imagined like a debt that had to be settled.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*geldaną / *guldaną
“To pay, repay, or owe compensation”
Old English
OE
gyltig
“Guilty, culpable, or liable to punishment”
Middle English
ME
gilti / gilty
“Culpable; responsible for an offense”
Modern English
English
guilty
“Responsible for a crime or wrongdoing”