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.
In September, the former newsreader was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2025 Jessica Leslie agreed to plead guilty to a charge of criminal contempt that accused her of willfully disobeying court rules against disclosure of grand jury information. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 15 July 2025 Pichardo pleaded guilty on April 3 to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other opioids, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025 Yang was arrested in 2009 and found guilty at trial two years after that in a homicide that prosecutors said was prompted by Yang’s jealousy. Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 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

Cite this Entry

“Guilty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilty. Accessed 21 Jul. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!