Meaning of the word guilty

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adjective, guilt·i·er, guilt·i·est.

having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law; justly subject to a certain accusation or penalty; culpable: The jury found her guilty of murder.

characterized by, connected with, or involving guilt: guilty intent.

having or showing a sense of guilt, whether real or imagined: a guilty conscience.

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Origin of guilty

before 1000; Middle English; Old English gyltig.See guilt, -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM guilty

guilt·i·ly, adverbguilt·i·ness, nouno·ver·guilt·y, adjectivequa·si-guilt·i·ly, adverb

quasi-guilty, adjective

Words nearby guilty

guillotine, guilt, guilt by association, guiltless, guilt trip, guilty, guilty pleasure, guimpe, Guin., guinea, Guinea-Bissau

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT GUILTY

What does guilty mean?

If you’re guilty, it means you were responsible for doing something wrong, especially a crime. If you’re found guilty, it means a jury has officially decided that you committed a crime. If you feel guilty, it means you feel bad about something you shouldn’t have done or should have done but didn’t.

In a legal context, guilty is the opposite of innocent (not guilty). It is often used in an official sense, but not always.

Example: Once when I was a kid I shoplifted a stick of gum from the store and felt so guilty about it that I was crying by the time I got home.

Where does guilty come from?

Guilty is an old word. It is believed to have been in use since before the year 1000. It is based on the noun guilt, which ultimately comes from the Old English gylt, meaning “offense.” The suffix -y is used to turn the noun into an adjective.

If you’re guilty, it means you did it. In legal usage, labeling someone guilty usually indicates that it has been officially determined—without a doubt—that they have committed a crime. In the United States, a person suspected of a crime has the right to be “presumed innocent until proven guilty.” This means a jury should only find a person guilty if there is indisputable evidence—meaning absolute proof.

A person found guilty is sometimes called the guilty party (in which party refers to a person or group). This phrase is also used outside of the courtroom. In everyday contexts, guilty is often used in a less official and often less serious way to refer to someone who’s responsible for some offense, as in I’m definitely guilty of snacking too much. But it can be serious, as in You may not have committed a crime, but you’re guilty of ruining this company.

Guilty is also used to describe the feeling of guilt or regret. For example, a person may feel guilty for something they did (like breaking a vase and lying about it) or something they didn’t do (like missing their friend’s birthday party). Feeling guilty often happens when the truth is hidden, as in the case of the vase, and this idea is what’s implied in the phrase guilty conscience.

A less serious use of guilty is found in the phrase guilty pleasure, which is something that you enjoy but feel a little embarrassed or shameful about.

Did you know …?

What are some other forms related to guilty?

  • guilt (noun)
  • guiltier (adjective, comparative form)
  • guiltiest (adjective, superlative form)
  • guiltily (adverb)
  • guiltiness (noun)
  • overguilty (adjective)
  • quasi-guilty (adverb)

What are some synonyms for guilty?

  • remorseful
  • regretful
  • guilt-ridden

What are some words that share a root or word element with guilty? 

  • guiltless
  • guilt-trip

What are some words that often get used in discussing guilty?

  • criminal
  • convict
  • verdict
  • jury
  • conscience
  • party
  • found
  • pleasure

What are some words guilty may be commonly confused with?

  • liable

How is guilty used in real life?

In a legal context, the word guilty shouldn’t be used lightly, since it implies a certainty of guilt. In normal conversation, guilty is often used in the context of lesser offenses or a feeling of regret.

«We should wait for a court of law to decide/Innocent until proven guilty» is well and good when you’re talking about potentially imprisoning someone. Not so much when it’s a matter of deciding whether to provide a potential victim protection and emotional support.

— Lorenz Carst 🌼 🐍 💫 🏳️‍⚧️ (@SyeraMiktayee) February 26, 2020

https://twitter.com/okaishawty/status/1231715961457135616.

https://twitter.com/jameelajamil/status/1209909487244472320

Try using guilty!​

Is guilty used correctly in the following sentence?

“He didn’t cause the accident, but he still feels guilty.”

Words related to guilty

convicted, culpable, liable, remorseful, responsible, sorry, wrong, accusable, caught, censurable, censured, chargeable, condemned, conscience-stricken, contrite, criminal, damned, delinquent, depraved, doomed

How to use guilty in a sentence

  • He researched the charge in depth, challenged his ticket in court and was found not guilty.

  • In March 2008, Chi Mak is found guilty and sentenced to 24 years in prison for conspiring to export military technology to China, among other crimes.

  • All four, who face up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts they face, have pleaded not guilty, and Bannon has called the charges a plot to stop border wall construction.

  • “People are more likely to feel guilty taking time off right now,” Bandurian said.

  • In less than half those cases, 22, people were found guilty of voting in two states.

  • Slowly, slowly, dance classes may cease to be such secret and guilty pleasures in Iran.

  • They were found guilty of practicing habitual debauchery and inciting others to sexual deviance because of the footage.

  • He did not plead guilty, and has regularly filed petitions in an effort to prove his innocence.

  • What he has said publicly is an apology for colonialism, something we are not guilty of in Cuba.

  • There is no requirement for a member of Congress to resign after pleading guilty to a felony.

  • All the miserable stratagems they had been guilty of to win him; the dishonest plotting and planning.

  • He was guilty of the weakness of taking refuge in what is called, I believe, in legal phrase, a side-issue.

  • Ned reached home about breakfast time, and «fetched up» at the back door, with a decidedly guilty countenance.

  • He felt rather guilty as he strolled beside this girl whose father had succeeded.

  • Never in her life had the vicar’s wife been guilty of profanity till now, but the opportunity was too golden to be missed.

British Dictionary definitions for guilty

adjective guiltier or guiltiest

responsible for an offence or misdeed

law having committed an offence or adjudged to have done sothe accused was found guilty

plead guilty law (of a person charged with an offence) to admit responsibility; confess

of, showing, or characterized by guilta guilty smile; guilty pleasures

Derived forms of guilty

guiltily, adverbguiltiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Источник

виновный, виноватый, повинный, преступный

прилагательное ↓

- виновный

- повинный

to be guilty of a blunder — быть повинным в совершении ошибки 
to be guilty of bad taste — образн. обладать плохим вкусом 
he is often guilty of losing his temper — к сожалению, он часто теряет самообладание 

- виноватый

guilty look — виноватый вид 
guilty conscience — совесть, страдающая от сознания вины 
to look guilty — выглядеть виноватым, иметь виноватый вид 

- преступный

guilty act — преступление; проступок 
guilty secret — позорная тайна 

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

a lawyer who is so notorious for chicaning that the guilty invariably seek his services — адвокат, который так известен своим крючкотворством, что виновные неизменно прибегают к его услугам  
the premise that an accused person is innocent until they are proved guilty — предположение о том, что обвиняемый считается невиновным до тех пор, пока его виновность не будет доказана  
to bring in (a verdict of) guilty — выносить обвинительный приговор  
guilty on all counts — виновный по всем пунктам обвинения  
to account guilty — признать виновным  
to forejudge guilty intent — возыметь умысел  
guilty looks — виноватый вид  
not guilty — вердикт о невиновности, невиновный, невиновен  
to be guilty of heresy — быть виновным в ереси  
to enter a guilty plea — каяться, раскаиваться  
to enter a plea of not guilty — оправдываться, убеждать в невиновности  
he was found guilty — его признали виновным  

Примеры с переводом

He is guilty of treason. 

Он виновен в измене.

She has reason to feel guilty. 

У неё есть причины чувствовать себя виноватой.

He was declared guilty. 

Его признали виновным.

Marie immediately felt guilty. 

Мари сразу же почувствовала себя виноватой.

The verdict was not guilty. 

Приговор не был обвинительным.

The jury found her guilty of murder. 

Суд присяжных признал ее виновной в убийстве.

She pleaded not guilty. 

Она не признала своей вины.

ещё 23 примера свернуть

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Hall was found guilty of perjury.  

They are guilty of perfidy.  

Henderson pled guilty to burglary.  

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.

Возможные однокоренные слова

blood-guilty  — виновный в убийстве в чьей-л. смерти
guilt  — вина, виновность, чувство вины, грех
guiltily  — виновато, с виноватым видом
guiltiness  — виновность, наказуемость
guiltless  — невиновный, невинный, безвинный, не умеющий, не знающий о
bloodguilty  — виновный в смерти, виновный в убийстве
unguilty  — невиновный, невиноватый

Формы слова

adjective
срав. степ. (comparative): guiltier
прев. степ. (superlative): guiltiest

Источник

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

3

obsolete

: justly liable to or deserving of a penalty

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for guilty



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.

Example Sentences



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

The arraignment is the only legal matter specifically scheduled: 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, when Trump is expected to plead not guilty.


—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2023




Michel, best known as part of the ’90s hip-hop group the Fugees, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, the most serious of which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.


—Alexandra Bacallao, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2023




Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges, and Chad will go on trial separately.


—Corin Cesaric, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2023




Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, but only Vallow Daybell’s trial begins Monday.


—Rebecca Boone, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2023




New Jack Harlow song:Listen to ‘Mockingbird Valley,’ with plenty of Louisville references O’Bannon, 29, also known as Ronnie Lucciano, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been on home incarceration in Louisville, with a jury trial currently scheduled for October.


—Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, 31 Mar. 2023




Michél has pleaded not guilty to a 12-count indictment accusing him of money laundering, campaign-finance violations, acting as an unregistered agent for foreign nationals, witness tampering and lying to banks.


—Paul Duggan, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Mar. 2023




McGrath has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his whereabouts remain unknown.


—Greg Norman, Fox News, 31 Mar. 2023




Michél has pleaded not guilty to a 12-count indictment accusing him of money laundering, campaign-finance violations, acting as an unregistered agent for foreign nationals, witness tampering and lying to banks.


—Paul Duggan, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2023


See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘guilty.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 14 Apr. 2023.

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5 Apr 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged

Источник

guilt·y

 (gĭl′tē)

adj. guilt·i·er, guilt·i·est

1.

a. Responsible for a reprehensible act; culpable.

b. Law Found to have violated a criminal law by a jury or judge.

c. Deserving blame, as for an error: guilty of misjudgment.

2. Suffering from or prompted by a sense of guilt: a guilty conscience.

3. Suggesting or entailing guilt: a guilty smirk; a guilty secret.

guilt′i·ly adv.

guilt′i·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

guilty

(ˈɡɪltɪ)

adj, guiltier or guiltiest

1. responsible for an offence or misdeed

2. (Law) law having committed an offence or adjudged to have done so: the accused was found guilty.

3. (Law) plead guilty law (of a person charged with an offence) to admit responsibility; confess

4. of, showing, or characterized by guilt: a guilty smile; guilty pleasures.

ˈguiltily adv

ˈguiltiness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

guilt•y

(ˈgɪl ti)

adj. guilt•i•er, guilt•i•est.

1. having committed an offense, crime, or wrong, esp. against moral or penal law; culpable: to be found guilty of murder.

2. characterized by, connected with, or involving guilt: guilty intent.

3. having or showing a sense of guilt: a guilty conscience.

[before 1000]

guilt′i•ly, adv.

guilt′i•ness, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

guilty

If you feel unhappy because you think you have done something wrong, you can say that you feel guilty about doing it.

Some people feel guilty about being so much richer than the rest of the world.

I feel guilty about using all that water.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj. 1. guilty — responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act; «guilty of murder»; «the guilty person»; «secret guilty deeds»

unrighteous — not righteous; «an unrighteous man»; «an unrighteous law»

clean-handed, guiltless, innocent — free from evil or guilt; «an innocent child»; «the principle that one is innocent until proved guilty»
2. guilty — showing a sense of guilt; «a guilty look»; «the hangdog and shamefaced air of the retreating enemy»- Eric Linklater

ashamed — feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse; «are you ashamed for having lied?»; «felt ashamed of my torn coat»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

guilty

adjective

1. ashamed, sorry, rueful, sheepish, contrite, remorseful, regretful, shamefaced, hangdog, conscience-stricken When she saw me, she looked extremely guilty.
ashamed proud

2. culpable, responsible, convicted, to blame, offending, erring, at fault, reprehensible, iniquitous, felonious, blameworthy They were found guilty of manslaughter. The guilty pair were caught red-handed.
culpable moral, innocent, righteous, virtuous, blameless

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

guilty

adjective

The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

špatnývinenvinný

skyldig

syyllinen

kriv

sekur

有罪の

유죄의

kriv

skyldig

รู้สึกผิด

có tội

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

guilty

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

guilt

(gilt) noun

1. a sense of shame. a feeling of guilt.

2. the state of having done wrong. Fingerprints proved the murderer’s guilt.

ˈguilty adjective

having, feeling, or causing guilt. The jury found the prisoner guilty; a guilty conscience.

ˈguiltiness nounˈguiltily adverb

He looked at his mother guiltily.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

guilty

→ مُذْنِب vinen skyldig schuldig ένοχος culpable syyllinen coupable kriv colpevole 有罪の 유죄의 schuldig skyldig winny culpado виновный skyldig รู้สึกผิด suçlu có tội 犯罪的

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

Источник

Meaning guilty

What does guilty mean? Here you find 24 meanings of the word guilty. You can also add a definition of guilty yourself

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adj. having been convicted of a crime or having admitted the comm…

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guilty

Old English gyltig «offending, delinquent, criminal,» from gylt (see guilt (n.)). In law, «that has committed some specified offense,» late 13c. Of conscience, feelings, etc., 1590 [..]

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guilty

In a criminal case, the admission by a defendant that he has committed a charged crime, or the finding by a judge or a jury that the defendant has committed the crime.

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guilty

responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act; "guilty of murder"; "the guilty person"; "secret guilty deeds" sho [..]

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guilty

shuldik

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guilty

guilt·i·er -est 1 : having committed a crime : justly charged with a specified crime [ of larceny] 2 : involving guilt or culpability[ knowledge]

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guilty

The term ‘guilty’ is used to denote a person who has committed or is responsible for committing a criminal offense or a traffic infraction. It can also denote a person responsible for a civil wron [..]

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guilty

(adj) responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act(adj) showing a sense of guilt

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guilty

Plea made by accused in confessing crime with which charged. Also, verdict reached when jury convicts defendant of crime with which charged. Compare acquittal.

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guilty

Found beyond a reasonable doubt to have committed a crime.

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guilty

Responsible for committing a criminal offense or a traffic infraction. The word used by an accused in pleading to the charges when he confesses to committing the crime of which he is charged. It is al [..]

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guilty

The word used by an accused in pleading to the charges when he confesses to committing the crime of which he is charged. It is also used by the judge if he finds that the accused committed a criminal offense or a traffic infraction.

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guilty

A person found guilty of a criminal charge, either as a result of an acknowledgment of it by pleading guilty, or as a result of a trial at which the accused was found guilty of the offence changed.

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guilty

A verdict that means it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime or part of the crime. The judge then considers any sentence or punishment.

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guilty

A person can enter a plea of «guilty» by admitting in court that he or she committed the offense for which he/she is charged. The jury

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guilty

When the defendant is determined to have committed the crime; they are "guilty."

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guilty

What you say when you admit to breaking the law. Also a decision made by the court.

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guilty

A verdict of a judge or jury that a person accused of committing a crime did, indeed, commit that crime.

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guilty

Legally responsible for a criminal offence.

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guilty

The word used by an accused in pleading to the charges when he confesses to committing the crime of which he is charged. It is also used by the judge if he finds that the accused committed a criminal [..]

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guilty

A plea given by a defendant who admits committing a crime. Guilty may also be the judgment given by a judge or jury if they find a defendant responsible as-charged after the evidence has been weighed, either in criminal matters, or in lawsuits for civil matters such as negligence or fraud.

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guilty

A person is guilty if he or she has been found guilty by a jury or pleaded guilty before a judge or magistrate.

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guilty

Responsible for a dishonest act.

(He was guilty of cheating at cards.)

(legal) Judged to have committed a crime.

(The guilty man was led away.)

Having a sense of guilt.

(Do you have a guil [..]

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guilty

lang=en

1600s=1678
|1800s=1813
1843

* »’1678»’ — . »».
*: Had I known him no more than you, I might perhaps have thought of him, as, at the first, you did; yea, had he received this report [..]

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