What Does Mea Culpa Mean? | Definition & Examples
Mea culpa comes from the Latin for “my fault,” or “through my fault.” It is an interjection (i.e., a word or phrase that expresses a feeling) but can also be used as a noun meaning an admission of guilt (e.g., “The senator issued a mea culpa via the press office”).
Mea culpa has a long history in English dating back at least to Chaucer (14th century) and originates in a prayer of confession in the Roman Catholic Church. It is now used in a much more general sense to indicate that you accept being at fault for something.
The letter was nothing but a three-page mea culpa from the assistant.
The doctor’s short mea culpa on the website did little to calm the patients’ anger.
Because mea culpa has been used in English for so long (like “ad hoc,” “in vitro,” and “de facto”), it does not need to be italicized in the way more recent loanwords from other languages do.
Frequently asked questions about mea culpa
- How do I pronounce mea culpa?
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Mea culpa is a four syllable phrase. The emphasis falls on the first syllable of each word: [May-uh-kuul-puh].
- What does “mea maxima culpa” mean?
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Mea maxima culpa comes from Latin and means “through my most grievous fault.” It is a stronger version of mea culpa, which means “(through) my fault.”
Mea maxima culpa comes from a Roman Catholic prayer of confession and is the third, final, and strongest expression of guilt in the lines “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.” Mea maxima culpa is not usually used outside of a religious context, whereas you will find mea culpa more widely used.
