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No one will blame you for having questions about the origins of exculpatory. The adjective comes from a combination of the prefix ex-, meaning "out of" or "away from," and the Latin noun culpa, which means "blame" or "guilt." Something exculpatory, then, frees one from accusations. Culpa has given English a number of other words, including the verb exculpate ("to clear from alleged fault or guilt"). The related but lesser-known terms inculpate ("to incriminate") and inculpatory ("incriminating") are antonyms of exculpate and exculpatory. Culpable is a synonym of blameworthy, and mea culpa refers to a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error.
Examples of exculpatory in a Sentence
Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2025
An officer at the Gaston County Police Department received an exculpatory statement — but never disclosed it, according to the suit.
—Ryan Oehrli
august 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2025
Other human factors contribute to wrongful imprisonment, and exculpatory DNA is not present in most cases.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
Bondi has not responded to emails from the Sentinel seeking comment or asking him to share the exculpatory material.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exculpatory
Cite this Entry
“Exculpatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exculpatory. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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exculpatory
adjective
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