Lack of exercise and poor diet are the main culprits in heart disease.
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We would be culpable if we didn't clearly explain the origins behind culprit. Yes, it is related to culpable, which itself derives from Latin culpare, meaning "to blame," via Middle English and Anglo-French. But the etymology of culprit is not so straightforward. In Anglo-French, culpable meant "guilty," and this was abbreviated "cul." in legal briefs and texts. Culprit was formed by combining this abbreviation with prest, prit, meaning "ready"-that is, ready to prove an accusation. Literally, then, a culprit was one who was ready to be proven guilty. English then borrowed the word for one accused of a wrongdoing.
The police eventually located the culprits. the police caught the culprit a mere two blocks from the scene of the crime
Recent Examples on the WebThere probably are multiple causes, but habitat loss is likely the principal culprit. Tom Langen, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 There was no clear culprit, so state park officials asked Epstein to fly his drone over the area to see what might be swimming near the shore. N'dea Yancey-bragg, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2022 Stewart, who has balked at complaints that underfunding by the city is the chief culprit, appears drawn to Gasper’s approach. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Sep. 2022 Several parents, activists, and politicians reacted, saying COVID-19-related school lockdowns can account for the regression and agreeing that teachers unions were the biggest culprit. Joshua Q. Nelson, Fox News, 1 Sep. 2022 For both Latinx and Asian Americans, COVID-19 was the secondary culprit, trailing unintentional injuries for the former group and cancer for the latter. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2022 If group sales are indeed the biggest culprit, then the situation figures to slowly correct itself as businesses return to in-person events. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 The primary culprit for inflation is the Federal Reserve. Alexander William Salter, National Review, 25 Aug. 2022 One culprit is the 2019 closure of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery, which removed about 335,000 barrels a day of refining capacity from the Northeast. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Anglo-French cul. (abbreviation of culpable guilty) + prest, prit ready (i.e., to prove it), from Latin praestus — more at presto