Inculpate
/ɪnˈkʌl.peɪt/noun
To accuse or blame someone formally.
Did you know?Inculpate comes from Latin *culpa* meaning “fault” or “blame,” the same root behind *culpable* and *exculpate*—a tiny legal word built around the ancient power of naming guilt.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
inculpāre
“to blame, accuse, or impute fault to”
Late Latin
Latin
inculpatus
“blamed; charged with fault”
Old French
Old French
inculper
“to accuse formally”
14th–15th Century
English
inculpen / inculpate
“to charge with blame or guilt”
Modern English
English
inculpate
“to accuse or blame formally”
Explore more surprising origins