Inculpate
mediumNeutral tonein-KUL-payt
verb
Definition
To accuse or incriminate someone; to show or suggest that someone is guilty of wrongdoing
Memory hook
IN-CULP-ATE: putting the CULPRIT into blame — to incriminate and accuse.
Word roots
in— into(Latin)
culpa— blame/fault(Latin)
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The witness's testimony served to inculpate the defendant in the fraud scheme.”
“The leaked emails threatened to inculpate the executive in the company's illegal practices.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The witness's testimony served to ______ the defendant in the fraud scheme.”
Show answer
inculpate
Categories
GRE Tip
Inculpate is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "incriminate" or "implicate" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "exonerate".
Related GRE Words
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