What does blame mean?
Blame refers to the assignment of responsibility for a fault, error, or wrongdoing, whether as a noun — the state of being held accountable for something bad — or as a verb meaning to hold someone responsible. In everyday use it carries a strongly negative connotation: to place blame on a person is to single them out as the cause of a problem, often with moral or social consequences. Common expressions include taking the blame (accepting accountability), shifting or placing the blame (redirecting it onto another), and bearing the blame (carrying its weight). The word appears constantly in politics, workplaces, journalism, and family life, wherever outcomes must be explained and accountability assigned. Its long history is striking: it descends through Old French from a Late Latin term derived ultimately from Greek roots connected to speaking ill of others, making it a distant relative of blasphemy. Understanding blame is essential because it sits at the heart of how societies apportion responsibility, negotiate fairness, and decide who answers for failure.
Responsibility for a fault, mistake, or wrongdoing; censure or reproach directed at someone considered at fault.
"The report laid most of the blame on poor maintenance."
Almost always uncountable; used with "the" rather than "a".
To hold someone responsible for a fault or wrong; to attribute a bad outcome to a person or thing.
"He blamed the delay on a shortage of parts."
Common patterns: "blame someone for something" and "blame something on someone."
Rarely used; blame functions almost exclusively as an uncountable noun, so the singular form with "the" is standard.
"The blame for the accident was shared by several parties."
Before it meant fault-finding in English, "blame" was literally a cousin of "blasphemy" — both trace back to a Greek word for speaking evil of someone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blame
English "blame" comes from the Old French verb "blamer," itself from Late Latin "blasphemare" (to revile or speak evil of), which derives from Greek "blasphemein." The word entered Middle English around the thirteenth century, gradually narrowing from general condemnation to the specific sense of assigning fault. Its Greek-rooted lineage makes it cognate with "blaspheme" and "blasphemy," which retained the original sense of abusive speech.
Related word forms
How blame is actually used
As a noun, blame is nearly always used as an uncountable mass noun; plural "blames" is essentially obsolete. The verb takes patterns like "blame someone for something" or "blame something on someone." It carries an inherently negative connotation, implying fault rather than mere causation.