culprit
Translation
offender, guilty party, cause of a problem
Examples
The police are still looking for the culprit.
The police are still looking for the culprit.
Lack of rain was the main culprit for the poor harvest.
Lack of rain was the main culprit for the poor harvest.
Grammar Patterns
((the culprit)) ((for sth.)) the person/thing responsible for (sth.) The police identified the culprit for the robbery.
Similar Words
Synonyms: offender, perpetrator, wrongdoer
Etymology
From Latin 'culpa' meaning 'fault' or 'blame'. Related to 'culpable'.
Memory Tips
Think of a 'culpable person' – someone who is to blame.