a. (and sb.). Forms: 4–5 coupable, (4 -abile, -aple, cupabil, 4–5 cowpable), 4–5 culpabil(l, 4–6 coulpable, 4– culpable. [ME. coupable, a. OF. coupable (cop-, coulpable, culpable, etc.) guilty:—L. culpābil-is blameworthy, f. culpa fault, blame. The OF. was regularly reduced to coupable in 13th c., but was frequently written culpable after L. in 14th c., coulpable in 16th c.; the latinized form has in Eng. been established both in spelling and pronunciation.]
1. Guilty, criminal; deserving punishment or condemnation. Obs. (or blended with sense 2.)
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1331. Ȝyf þou … Fordost pore mannys sustynaunce Þat aftyrwarde he may nat lyve Þou art coupable.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVII. 300. Any creature þat is coupable afor a kynges iustice.
1483. Caxton, Cato, E j b. How be it that they ben gylty and culpable.
1573. Bp. of Peterboro, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 196, III. 35. If thei be able justelie before discreete and indifferent Judges to finde him culpable.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., ii. 23. We see what meer Schisme is, a culpable rupture or breach of the Catholick communion.
1778. Bp. Lowth, Isaiah, Notes (ed. 12), 343. The inflictor of the punishment may perhaps be as culpable as the sufferer.
1844. Thirlwall, Greece, VIII. lxii. 151. He was considered at Thebes as culpable.
b. Const. of, † in (an offence, sin, wrong, etc.).
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxxiv. 13. Þai wild haf made me culpabil of syn.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 312. We ben coupable in þis synne.
1428. Surtees Misc. (1890), 8. He was gylty and coulpabyll of all ye trespasse.
1545. Brinklow, Compl., iii. (1874), 14. What can the pore wyfe … do witthall, being not culpable in the cryme?
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., lvi. 220. They that found themselves culpable of gluttony.
1839. G. P. R. James, Louis XIV., I. 222. The greatest crime of which a man could render himself culpable.
† c. Culpable of (punishment, death, judgment, etc.): deserving, liable to. Also, culpable to be judged, etc. (see first quot.)
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 16. Sich is coupable aȝens God to be jugid to helle. Ibid. Þat man, as Crist seiþ, is coupable of þe fier of helle.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 4570. He is of the deth coupable.
1557. N. T. (Genev.), Matt. v. 21. Whosoeuer killeth, shal be culpable of iudgement.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 7. Culpable of iudgement.
1612. W. Sclater, Minister’s Portion, 45. [Which] makes the offender culpable of death.
2. Deserving blame or censure, blameworthy.
[c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 575. Þe lawe saith þat he is coupable þat entremettith him or mellith him with such þing as aperteyneþ not vnto him.]
1613. R. C., Table Alph. (ed. 3), Culpable, blame-worthy, guiltie.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. viii. 33. What circumstances make an action laudable, or culpable.
1789. Belsham, Ess., I. i. 7. Those inclinations … they know to be highly culpable and unworthy.
1875. J. Curtis, Hist. Eng., 146. With great and culpable disregard to the public weal.
b. Artistically faulty or censurable. rare.
1768. W. Gilpin, Ess. Prints, 2. It [a print] may have an agreeable effect as a whole, and yet be very culpable in its parts.
1851. [see CULPABLENESS].
† B. sb. A guilty person, a culprit. Obs. [So F. coupable.]
1480. Robt. Devyll, 720, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 247. Euery vnthryftye culpable.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 411/3. He punysshed the culpables.
1651. trans. De-las-Coveras’ Don Fenise, 209. If he could discover the infamous culpable.
a. 1734. North, Lives (1808), II. 246 (D.). Those only who were the culpables.
