What does guilty mean?
Guilty is an adjective with two closely connected central meanings: a person can be guilty because they have committed an offence or done something wrong, and can be guilty because they feel shame or remorse about their actions. In legal and moral contexts, it identifies responsibility for wrongdoing; a verdict of “not guilty” declares that responsibility has not been established. In ordinary emotional use, “guilty” describes an inward sense of fault, often mixed with anxiety about how others will judge the person. The word may also modify words such as conscience, verdict, or feeling, and the usual construction for an accusation is “guilty of” an act. Guilty is especially common in discussions of courts, morality, personal responsibility, and conscience. Although the word can sound severe when it refers to an offence, its emotional sense may be comparatively mild, as when someone feels guilty about forgetting a commitment rather than committing a crime. Understanding both senses helps distinguish responsibility for wrongdoing from the painful awareness of having done something regrettable.
adjectiveHaving committed a crime or done something wrong and therefore deserving blame; or feeling shame or remorse for one’s actions.
- Responsible for having committed a wrongdoing or offence; culpable.
- Feeling shame, remorse, or self-reproach for one’s actions.
"She knew she was guilty of forgetting her friend’s birthday."
"After reviewing the evidence, the jury found the defendant not guilty."
"She felt guilty after letting her friend down."
Guilty can condemn a person in court, then turn inward and describe the uneasy feeling that follows.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does guilty come from?
Guilty entered Middle English from Old French guilty, a form derived from Latin culpa, meaning “blame” or “fault.” English developed it alongside the noun guilt, while related forms including culpable, culprit, and culpability preserve the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How guilty is actually used
Common in both formal legal language and everyday moral or emotional contexts. When an act is specified, the standard construction is “guilty of” it. The word can imply established responsibility, while “remorseful” places greater emphasis on regret.
Easily confused with guilty
A guild is an association of people in a craft or profession, whereas guilty means culpable or remorseful.
Gilt is a thin layer of gold over another metal, whereas guilty describes wrongdoing or the feeling of having done wrong.