Guilt Definition
gĭlt
guilts
noun
guilts
The state of having done a wrong or committed an offense; culpability, legal or ethical.
Webster's New World
The fact of having been found to have violated a criminal law; legal culpability.
The jury's job is to determine the defendant's guilt or innocence.
American Heritage Medicine
Conduct that involves guilt; crime; sin.
Webster's New World
Responsibility for a mistake or error.
The guilt for the book's many typos lies with the editor.
American Heritage Medicine
A painful feeling of self-reproach resulting from a belief that one has done something wrong or immoral.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
- blamelessness
- freedom from fault
- innocence
- inculpability
verb
To make or try to make (someone) feel guilty.
American Heritage
To make or try to make someone feel guilty.
Guilted me for forgetting to wash the dishes.
American Heritage Medicine
To cause someone to do something by arousing feelings of guilt.
Guilted me into washing the dishes.
American Heritage Medicine
Origin of Guilt
-
From Middle English gilt, gult, from Old English gylt (“guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault”), of obscure origin. Perhaps connected with Old English ġieldan (“to yield, pay, pay for, reward, requite, render, worship, serve, sacrifice to, punish”). See yield.
From Wiktionary
From Middle English gilten, gylten, from Old English gyltan (“to commit sin, be guilty”), from gylt (“guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault”).
From Wiktionary
Middle English gilt from Old English gylt crime
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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