1. 罪犯;犯错的人
When you are talking about a crime or something wrong that has been done, you can refer to the person who did it as the culprit .

2. 引起问题(或不利情势)的事物
When you are talking about a problem or bad situation, you can refer to its cause as the culprit .

1. someone who perpetrates wrongdoing

Synonym: perpetrator