What does “mea maxima culpa” mean?

Mea maxima culpa is a term of Latin origin meaning “through my most grievous fault.” It is used to acknowledge a mistake or wrongdoing. Mea maxima culpa is a stronger version of mea culpa, which means “through my fault.”

Mea maxima culpa is traditionally used in a prayer of confession in the Catholic Church as the third and most emphatic expression of guilt (“mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa”). Unlike mea culpa, mea maxima culpa is rarely used outside of a religious context.

Frequently asked questions: Definitions

What does “let’s touch base” mean?: Let’s touch base is an expression used to suggest to someone that you touch base or briefly reconnect. It’s rarely used in formal or academic writing.
How do I pronounce “copacetic”?: Copacetic has four syllables. It’s pronounced with emphasis on the third syllable: [koh-pah-set-ik].
Is it “copacetic,” “copasetic,” or “copesetic”?: The standard spelling is copacetic. The variant spellings copasetic and copesetic are also listed as acceptable by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but they’re less common.

The origin of the word is unclear (it’s thought to have originated as slang in the 20th century), which is why various spellings are deemed acceptable.
What does “please bear with me” mean?: Please bear with me is a more polite version of the expression bear with me, meaning “have patience with me.”

It’s typically used along with a conjunction (e.g., “while”), to explain why you’re asking for patience (e.g., “please bear with me while I try to find the correct file”).

Note
Bear and bare are often confused, but in this case, ‘bear with me’ is the only correct spelling.
What is a synonym of “bear with me”?: Some synonyms for bear with me include:

(Please) be patient

(Please) hold on

Just a moment

(Please) stand by

(Please) wait

Note
Bear and bare are often confused, but in this case, “bear with me” is the only correct spelling.
What does “bare with me” mean?: “Bare with me” is a common misspelling of the phrase bear with me. While “bare” can be used as a verb meaning “uncover,” it doesn’t make sense in this phrase. The verb you need is “bear,” meaning “carry” or “endure.”
What is a synonym of “misnomer”?: Misnomer is quite a unique word without any clear synonyms. Some phrases that convey the same idea are:

Inaccurate label/name/title

Misleading term

Wrong label/name/title
What is an example of a misnomer?: Some well-known examples of terms that are or have been viewed as misnomers, but are still widely used, include:

Koala bears

Light-year

Chinese checkers

Peanuts

Lead pencil
What are the two types of criterion validity?: Criterion validity evaluates how well a test measures the outcome it was designed to measure. An outcome can be, for example, the onset of a disease.

Criterion validity consists of two subtypes depending on the time at which the two measures (the criterion and your test) are obtained:

Concurrent validity is a validation strategy where the the scores of a test and the criterion are obtained at the same time.

Predictive validity is a validation strategy where the criterion variables are measured after the scores of the test.
What are the main types of validity?: Validity tells you how accurately a method measures what it was designed to measure. There are four main types of validity:

Construct validity: Does the test measure the construct it was designed to measure?

Face validity: Does the test appear to be suitable for its objectives?

Content validity: Does the test cover all relevant parts of the construct it aims to measure.

Criterion validity: Do the results accurately measure the concrete outcome they are designed to measure?
What is the difference between convergent and concurrent validity?: Convergent validity shows how much a measure of one construct aligns with other measures of the same or related constructs.

On the other hand, concurrent validity is about how a measure matches up to some known criterion or gold standard, which can be another measure.

Although both types of validity are established by calculating the association or correlation between a test score and another variable, they represent distinct validation methods.
What is a synonym of “touch base”?: Some synonyms for touch base include:

Catch up

Chat

Have a chat

Reconnect
Is it “touch base,” “touch bases,” or “touch basis”?: “Touch bases” is sometimes mistakenly used instead of the expression touch base, meaning “reconnect briefly.” In the expression, the word “base” can’t be pluralized—the idea is more that you’re both touching the same “base.”

“Touch basis” is a misspelling of “touch bases” and is also incorrect.
What is a synonym of “copacetic”?: Some synonyms for copacetic include:

Agreeable

Excellent

Fine

Good

Great

Outstanding

Perfect

Satisfactory

Wonderful
What is a synonym of “besides”?: There are different synonyms for the various meanings of besides.

Except In addition to As well Furthermore

Apart from As well as Also Additionally

But Along with Too Further

Other than Together with Moreover
Is it “beside” or “besides”?: Beside and besides are related words, but they don’t have the same meaning.

Beside is a preposition meaning “next to.” It can also be used to mean “compared with.”

Besides can be used as a preposition and adverb. It has various meanings including “apart from,” “in addition to,” and “moreover,” but isn’t used for literal physical closeness.
Is “besides” a preposition?: Yes, besides is a preposition meaning “apart from” (e.g., “Laura doesn’t like hot drinks besides cocoa”). It can also be used to mean “as well as” (e.g., “Besides traveling, Angie enjoys cooking”).
What are the different types of determiners?: There are many ways to categorize determiners into various types. Some of the main types of determiners are:

Definite and indefinite articles

Demonstrative determiners

Possessive determiners

Numbers

Distributive determiners

Interrogative determiners

Quantifiers

Determiners of difference
What is a synonym for “few”?: Some synonyms and near synonyms for few include:

A minority of

A small number of

Hardly any

Not many
What does “a few” mean?: A few means “some” or “a small number of.” When a few is used along with the adverb “only,” it means “not many” (e.g., “only a few original copies of the book survive”).
How much is a few?: Although a few doesn’t refer to any specific number, it’s typically used to refer to a relatively small number that’s more than two (e.g., “I’m going home in a few hours”).
What is a synonym of “as well as”?: Some synonyms and near synonyms of as well as are:

Along with

And (in some contexts)

Besides

Plus

Together with
What does “mine as well” mean?: “Mine as well” is a common misspelling of the expression might as well.

This expression is used alone or as part of a sentence to indicate something that makes little difference either way or that there’s no reason not to do (e.g., “We might as well ask her”). You should write might as well, not “mine as well,” to express this meaning.

On some occasions, mine as well can be the right choice. “Mine” is the first-person possessive pronoun, indicating something belonging to the speaker. So you might use this phrase in an exchange like the following:

Person A: My legs are aching.

Person B: Mine as well. It was a long walk!
What does “you as well” mean?: You as well is a short phrase used in conversation to reflect whatever sentiment someone has just expressed to you back at them. It’s commonly used to respond to well wishes:

Person A: Have a great weekend!

Person B: You as well!

The phrase is made up of the second-person pronoun you and the phrase as well, which means “also” or “too.”

This phrase is synonymous with another phrase, you too. Both are only used conversationally, not in formal writing, because they’re not complete sentences and don’t make sense outside of a conversational context.
What does “as well” mean?: As well is a phrase used to mean “also” or “too.” It’s used to indicate something additional (e.g., “I’m going to the bank as well”).

It’s also used in different senses in various common phrases, such as “as well as,” “might as well,” “you as well,” and “just as well.”
Is it “aswell” or “as well”?: The correct spelling of the phrase meaning “also” or “too” is as well, with a space. “Aswell,” combining the two words into one, is considered a mistake by all major dictionaries.

In other phrases involving these words, too, they are always written as separate words: “as well as,” “might as well,” “just as well,” etc.
What is an antonym of “callous”?: Some antonyms (opposites) for “callous” include:

Compassionate

Humane

Kind

Sensitive

Sympathetic

Tender

Understanding

Warm

Warmhearted
What is a synonym for “callous”?: Some synonyms for “callous” include:

Brutal

Cruel

Hard

Harsh

Heartless

Inhuman

Insensitive

Unsympathetic
What is an antonym of “presumptuous”?: Some antonyms (opposites) for “presumptuous” include:

Deferential

Meek

Modest

Obedient

Unassertive

Unassuming
What is a synonym of “presumptuous”?: Some synonyms for “presumptuous” include:

Arrogant

Audacious

Bold

Cheeky

Conceited

Familiar

Forward

Immodest

Insolent

Overconfident

Overfamiliar
How do I pronounce “verbiage”?: Verbiage has three syllables. It’s pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable: [ver-bee-ij].
What is a synonym of “verbiage”?: There are numerous synonyms for the two meanings of verbiage.

Excessive use of language Manner/style of language

Circumlocution Diction

Diffuseness Language

Long-windedness Phrasing

Redundancy Style

Verboseness Syntax

Verbosity Turn of phrase

Windiness Wording

Wordage

Wordiness
What are some synonyms of “loquacious”?: Some synonyms for “loquacious” include:

Chatty

Conversational

Garrulous

Long-winded

Prolix

Talkative

Talky

Verbose

Voluble

Wordy

Automatically find more synonyms for “loquacious” with the paraphrasing tool.
How do I pronounce “mea culpa”?: Mea culpa has four syllables. It’s pronounced with emphasis on the first and third syllables: [May-uh-kuul-puh].
What is a synonym for “albeit”?: Some words with a similar or identical meaning to albeit (depending on context) include:

Although

But

Howbeit

Notwithstanding

Though

While
How do I pronounce “albeit”?: Albeit has three syllables. It’s pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable: [awl-bee-it].

Because some people pronounce “I’ll” in a similar way to the first syllable, they sometimes mistakenly write “I’ll be it” in place of “albeit.” This is incorrect and should be avoided.
Is it “vice versa” or “vice a versa”?: Vice versa is the only correct spelling (not “vice a versa” or “vice-versa”), but the phrase can be pronounced both ways: [vice–vur-suh] or [vice-uh-vur-suh].
How do I pronounce “vice versa”?: There are two ways to pronounce vice versa:

As three syllables, with emphasis placed on the first and second syllables: [vice–vur-suh]. This is the most common pronunciation.

As four syllables, with emphasis placed on the first and third syllables: [vice-uh-vur-suh].

Both pronunciations are considered acceptable, but “vice versa” is the only correct spelling.
What is a synonym of “vice versa”?: Some synonyms of vice versa include:

Contrarily

Contrariwise

Conversely

Inversely

The other way around
What are some synonyms for “indubitably”?: Some synonyms for “indubitably” include:

Absolutely

Certainly

Definitely

Indisputably

Undeniably

Undoubtedly

Unquestionably

Without a doubt

You can find more synonyms for “indubitably” while using the paraphrasing tool. All you need to do is write the word into the tool and it will automatically suggest synonyms for you to use.
How do I pronounce “indubitably”?: “Indubitably” has five syllables. It is pronounced with an emphasis on the second syllable: [in-doo-bit-uh-blee].
How do I pronounce “eponymous”?: “Eponymous” has four syllables. It’s pronounced with an emphasis on the second syllable: [i-pon-uh-muss].
What is an eponym?: “Eponym” is a noun used to refer to the person or thing after which something is named (e.g., the inventor Louis Braille). It can also be used to refer to the word or name itself (e.g., the writing system “braille”). It’s related to the adjective “eponymous.”
What are some synonyms of “eponymous”?: Some words that are synonyms or near synonyms of “eponymous” include:

Eponymic

Nominative

Self-titled

Self-named

Titular

Another easy way of finding synonyms for “eponymous” is using the paraphrasing tool. Copy or write the word in the tool and it will automatically suggest a variety of synonyms for you to use.
How do you pronounce “facetious”?: Facetious has three syllables. It’s pronounced with an emphasis on the second syllable: [fuh-see-shuss].
What is an antonym of “facetious”?: Some antonyms (opposites) for facetious include:

Earnest

Grave

Humorless

Serious

Sober

Solemn
What is a synonym of “facetious”?: Some synonyms for facetious include:

Amusing

Bantering

Comical

Droll

Flippant

Frivolous

Funny

Jesting

Jocular

Witty
Is it “ad nauseam” or “ad nauseum”?: The correct spelling of the term meaning “to a sickening degree” is ad nauseam, with an “a.” The common misspelling “ad nauseum,” with a “u,” is never correct.
What is a synonym of “ad nauseam”?: Ad nauseam is usually used to refer to something going on for too long. Some rough synonyms of ad nauseam are:

At great length

Excessively

Long-windedly

Repetitively

To a sickening degree
What is the opposite of “protagonist”?: In fiction, the opposite of a protagonist is an antagonist, meaning someone who opposes the protagonist.

More generally, some antonyms for “protagonist” include:

Adversary

Critic

Enemy

Foe

Opponent

Rival
What is a synonym of “protagonist”?: There are numerous synonyms for the various meanings of protagonist.

Main character in a story Main participant in an event Leader or supporter of a cause

Central figure Actor Advocate

Hero(ine) Key figure Champion

Lead(ing) character Main figure Exponent

Main character Principal player Promoter

Proponent

Supporter

Upholder

Except	In addition to	As well	Furthermore
Apart from	As well as	Also	Additionally
But	Along with	Too	Further
Other than	Together with		Moreover

Excessive use of language	Manner/style of language
Circumlocution	Diction
Diffuseness	Language
Long-windedness	Phrasing
Redundancy	Style
Verboseness	Syntax
Verbosity	Turn of phrase
Windiness	Wording
Wordage
Wordiness

Questions?

Ask our team

Want to contact us directly? No problem. We are always here for you.

Frequently asked questions

See all

How does Scribbr help students graduate?: Our team helps students graduate by offering:

A world-class citation generator

Plagiarism Checker software powered by Turnitin

Innovative Citation Checker software

Professional proofreading services

Over 300 helpful articles about academic writing, citing sources, plagiarism, and more
What type of documents does Scribbr proofread?: Scribbr specializes in editing study-related documents. We proofread:

Essays

Papers

Theses

PhD dissertations

Research proposals

Personal statements

Admission essays

Motivation letters

Reports

Reflection papers

Journal articles

Capstone projects
What plagiarism checker software does Scribbr use?: The Scribbr Plagiarism Checker is powered by elements of Turnitin’s Similarity Checker, namely the plagiarism detection software and the Internet Archive and Premium Scholarly Publications content databases.
Which citation software does Scribbr use?: The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js. It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github.

Main character in a story	Main participant in an event	Leader or supporter of a cause
Central figure	Actor	Advocate
Hero(ine)	Key figure	Champion
Lead(ing) character	Main figure	Exponent
Main character	Principal player	Promoter
		Proponent
		Supporter
		Upholder