culprit
One who's responsible
A culprit is the person responsible for a crime, offense, or problem.
Police search for culprits; investigations reveal them.
The word extends beyond crime to any cause of trouble: The culprit behind the power outage was a fallen tree.
We finally found the culprit—a leaky pipe in the basement.
One who breaks rules
- wrongdoerPerson who misbehaves
- suspectBelieve to be likely
- criminalPerson who breaks laws
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
lawbreaker · malefactor · convict · thief · burglar · robber · arsonist · vandal
Point of origin
- rootUnderground absorbing structure
- originStarting point or source
- catalystAgent enabling change
- triggerWhat initiates action
cause · factor · reason · agent · instigator · perpetrator · provocateur · troublemaker
Believe to be likely
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- cluesHints toward answers
- detectiveProfessional crime investigator
- forensicsScientific crime-scene analysis
interrogation · lineup · fingerprints · DNA · witness · alibi · motive · surveillance
Imperfection or blame
- responsibilityState of being answerable
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- guilty partyOne held responsible
scapegoat · fall guy · patsy · whipping boy · target · victim · dupe · martyr
offender
One who breaks rules
felon · lawbreaker · malefactor · convict · thief · burglar · robber · arsonist · vandal · fraudster
source
Point of origin
trigger · cause · factor · reason · agent · instigator · perpetrator · provocateur · troublemaker · ringleader
suspect
Believe to be likely
forensics · interrogation · lineup · fingerprints · DNA · witness · alibi · motive · surveillance · manhunt
fault
Imperfection or blame
- responsibilityState of being answerable
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
guilty party · scapegoat · fall guy · patsy · whipping boy · target · victim · dupe · martyr · censure
defendant
Party facing charges
arraigned · charged · prosecution · defense · trial · testimony · evidence · alibi · witness · verdict
- mysteryclue, detective, suspect, clues, sleuth
- mystery fictionwhodunit, whodunnit, sleuth, murder mystery, detective novel
- accountabilityaccountability, responsibility, accountable, take responsibility, answerability
- Blameblame, fault, accusation, guilt-tripping, finger-pointing
- detective wordsclues, evidence, crime, motive, suspect
- investigationinvestigation, detective, evidence, clue, case
culpritinnocent
Free from moral wrong
victim · blameless · guiltless · sufferer · injured party
culpritlawman
Enforcement officer
police · detective · law enforcement · cop · investigator