{"word":"mea","meaning":"a statement in which you say that something is your fault","partOfSpeech":"noun","date":"2026-03-10","example":"The podcast host's mea culpa did little to satisfy those who found the episode deeply offensive.","source":"merriam-webster","sourceUrl":"https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/mea culpa-2026-03-10","etymology":"The word \"mea\" is derived from the Latin phrase \"mea culpa\", meaning \"my fault\" or \"through my fault\". The Latin phrase is a combination of \"mea\", meaning \"my\", and \"culpa\", meaning \"fault\" or \"blame\". The phrase \"mea culpa\" has been used since the 4th century CE and has been adopted into various languages, including English."}