Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2026 is:
 
 
 
 
 mea culpa &#149; \may-uh-KOOL-puh\&nbsp; &#149; noun
 The noun mea culpa is used for a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error.

// The podcast host's mea culpa did little to satisfy those who found the episode deeply offensive. 

<a href="https://bit.ly/4qnlExs">See the entry ></a>
 
 
 
 Examples:
 "... his apology was the best public mea culpa of this century. ... It was delivered without hesitation, qualification or blame shifting." — John Mosig, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), 24 Oct. 2025
 
 
 
 Did you know?
 Mea culpa means "through my fault" in Latin. Said by itself, it's an exclamation of apology or remorse that is used to mean "It was my fault" or "I apologize." Mea culpa is also a noun, however. A newspaper might issue a mea culpa for printing inaccurate information, or a politician might give a speech making mea culpas for past wrongdoings. Mea culpa is one of many English terms that come from the Latin culpa, meaning "guilt." Some other examples are <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culpable">culpable</a> ("meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful"), <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culprit">culprit</a> ("one guilty of a crime or a fault"), and <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exculpate_">exculpate</a> ("to clear from alleged fault or guilt").

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