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Mea culpa is one of many English terms that derive from the Latin culpa, meaning "guilt." Some other examples are culpable ("meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful"), culprit ("one guilty of a crime or a fault"), and exculpate ("to clear from alleged fault or guilt").
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What does 'Mea Culpa' mean?
What is Mea Culpa exclamation?
What does Mia Culpa mean?
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Meaning of mea culpa in English. mea culpa. exclamation. humorous uk / ˌmeɪ.ə ˈkʊl.pə / us / ˌmeɪ.ə ˈkʊl.pə / Add to word list. used to admit that something was your fault. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Admitting & confessing. acknowledge something as something. acknowledgedly. acknowledgment. admission of guilt. admittedly. avowedly
Mea culpa is the Latin way of saying my bad. It literally means “through my (own) fault.” Mea culpa can be used as an interjection (much like my fault or my bad) or as a noun referring to an apology, as in The senator offered a mea culpa during the press conference.
- Mea Culpa Meaning
- Mia Culpa Or Mea Culpa Or Mia Copa
- Origin and Etymology of Mea Culpa
- What Is The Plural of Mea Culpa?
- Mea Culpa Pronunciation
- Synonyms For Mea Culpa
- How to Use Mea Culpa: Examples in A Sentence
- That’S A Wrap
The definition of mea culpa translates literally from Latin as through my fault. It’s meant to be an interjection, an admission of wrongdoing or an expression of guilt over something you’ve done. It’s like saying, “Oops, my bad,” but with a touch more elegance and a sprinkle of ancient Roman flare. You’d use it in place of a simple “I”m sorry” beca...
So, how do you say it correctly? If you’re in the habit of saying mia culpa or mia copa, I’ll say you may have been led astray. The correct phrase to use is always mea culpa in response to being shown your mistake. While mia might work if you’re speaking Italian and referring to mysomething, it’s not how the Romans owned up to their oopsie.
This interjection comes from Latin roots, which is no surprise, and originated around the 1800s. It derived from the 13th-century French word couplable, which meant worthy of blame.
Strictly speaking, the noun mea culpadoesn’t have a traditional plural form because of the fact that it’s a statement of personal responsibility. But if you find yourself confessing numerous mistakes (don’t worry, everyone has those days), you might say, “My many mea culpas,” which sounds way better than admitting you’ve messed up…again.
In English, it’s pronounced as may-ah kuul-pah. But in proper Latin, it’s pronounced as meh-ah kuul-pah. Either way, saying it with a shrug and a sheepish grin will get your point across in most situations.
Don’t feel like using the fancy term? Try any one of these words that carry the same meaning. 1. My fault 2. My bad 3. Oopsie 4. My mistake 5. I’m to blame
My biology presentation was full of errors—mea culpa. I should have thoroughly checked the facts before submitting it to the teacher.Mea culpa for forgetting our wedding anniversary, honey. I’ve made a reservation at your favorite restaurant to make up for it.The mix-up with the staff lunch orders was all my doing, mea culpa.I must offer my mea culpa for being late for the sales meeting. Traffic was a nightmare this morning.This is just another classic case of English borrowing words and expressions from other languages. Adding some flare to your writing or conversations with Latin phrases such as this can be fun. Play around with other loanwords, and be sure to check out my guides on them!
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It's a way of saying you were wrong. This is a Latin phrase that simply means "through my fault." So when you make a mea culpa, you're acknowledging that you did something wrong and apologizing for it. This term sounds fancy and official, but it's also a bit of an old-fashioned concept.
The phrase comes from a Western Christian prayer of confession of sinfulness, known as the Confiteor, used in the Roman Rite at the beginning of Mass or when receiving the sacrament of Penance. Grammatically, meā culpā is in the ablative case, with an instrumental meaning.
Definition of mea culpa exclamation in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
