---
title: culpability — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «culpability» in the school dictionary: Culpability is being to blame for something wrong or bad. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# culpability

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**Who acts:** Culpability, court, company, He, child, inquiry · **What happens:** be, have, decide, deny, accept, apologise · **To what, where:** culpability, child, law, harm, purpose

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«culpability» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [culpability in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/culpability.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: formal, law — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Culpability is being to blame for something wrong or bad.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:culpability:m1:1
# text = Culpability is being to blame for something wrong or bad.
1	Culpability	culpability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	blame	blame	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obl	_	_
8	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Culpability |  |  |  |  | for something; blame *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The court had to decide the driver's culpability for the crash.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:culpability:x1:1
# text = The court had to decide the driver's culpability for the crash.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	decide	decide	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	driver	driver	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	culpability	culpability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	crash	crash	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | the court |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **decide** | to-infinitive | the court *not said here* | the driver's culpability |  |  |  | for the crash | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent culpability=Topic |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The company denied any culpability for the oil spill.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:culpability:x2:1
# text = The company denied any culpability for the oil spill.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	denied	deny	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	5	det	_	_
5	culpability	culpability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	oil	oil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	spill	spill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **deny** | past | the company | any culpability |  |  |  | for the oil spill | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Agent culpability=Eventuality |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He accepted culpability and apologised.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:culpability:x3:1
# text = He accepted culpability and apologised.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	accepted	accept	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	culpability	culpability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	apologised	apologise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accept** | past | He | culpability |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent culpability=Theme |
| 2 | **apologise** *speech: apologize* | past | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Being a child can reduce a person's culpability in law.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:culpability:x4:1
# text = Being a child can reduce a person's culpability in law.
1	Being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	cop	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	reduce	reduce	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	culpability	culpability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	law	law	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | gerund |  | a child |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **reduce** | can | a child | a person's culpability |  | law |  |  | vn limit-76 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer culpability=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The inquiry looked at the culpability of the officials.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:culpability:x5:1
# text = The inquiry looked at the culpability of the officials.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	inquiry	inquiry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	looked	look	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	culpability	culpability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	officials	official	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | past | the inquiry |  |  |  |  | at the culpability of the officials | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at culpability=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Culpability is greater when harm is done on purpose.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:culpability:x6:1
# text = Culpability is greater when harm is done on purpose.
1	Culpability	culpability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	greater	great	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
4	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
5	harm	harm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	done	do	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
8	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Culpability |  |  |  |  | great *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** | present · passive |  | harm |  | purpose |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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