guiltier; guiltiest
1
: justly chargeable with or responsible for a usually grave breach of conduct or a crime
Does the defendant plead guilty or not guilty?
2
a
: suggesting or involving guilt
The children exchanged guilty looks.
b
: aware of or suffering from guilt
guilty consciences
3
obsolete : justly liable to or deserving of a penalty
guiltily adverb
guiltiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for guilty

blameworthy, blamable, guilty, culpable mean deserving reproach or punishment.

blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.

conduct adjudged blameworthy
an accident for which no one is blamable

guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

guilty of a breach of etiquette

culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

culpable neglect

Examples of guilty in a Sentence

Do you think he's innocent or guilty? Will the defendant plead guilty or not guilty? The children exchanged guilty looks. He was acting like someone with a guilty conscience. There's no need to feel guilty about it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mohammed was set to formally plead guilty on Friday with his two co-defendants scheduled to follow next week. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025 The offer would also require Higgins to plead guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident in return for a five-year prison term. Hailey Salvian, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025 Juries in those cases found numerous defendants, including Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, guilty of using force to oppose the federal government. Robert Legare, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2025 Court documents filed in Minnesota’s Ramsey County District Court show that Joseph Steven Jorgenson pleaded guilty Thursday in the deaths of missing women Manijeh Starren, 34, and Fanta Xayavong, 33. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for guilty 

Word History

Etymology

see guilt entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guilty was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near guilty

Cite this Entry

“Guilty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilty. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

guilty

adjective
guiltier; guiltiest
1
: having done wrong
2
a
: suggesting or involving guilt
a guilty manner
b
: aware of or suffering from guilt
a guilty conscience
guiltily adverb
guiltiness noun

Legal Definition

guilty

1 of 2 adjective
guiltier; guiltiest
1
: having committed a crime : justly charged with a specified crime
guilty of larceny
2
: involving guilt or culpability
guilty knowledge

guilty

2 of 2 noun
1
: a plea of a criminal defendant who does not intend to contest the charges
2
: a verdict of a jury that believes the defendant committed the crime charged compare nolo contendere, not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity

More from Merriam-Webster on guilty

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