Vocabulary—Antonyms MCQ: Choose the option most nearly opposite in meaning to ‘‘CULPABLE’’; weigh notions of blameworthiness vs. innocence.

Given word
CULPABLE (adjective): deserving blame; guilty.

Concept/Approach
The opposite should remove blame or guilt: ‘‘blameless’’ (innocent).

Option-by-option analysis
Blameless: free from blame; innocent—direct antonym. ✅Defendable: capable of being defended; not necessarily innocence. ❌Careless/Irresponsible: describe negligence, often increasing culpability; not antonyms. ❌

Example
‘‘The driver was found blameless and therefore not culpable.’’

Final Answer
Blameless