Guilty/ˈɡɪlti/ Definition 1 of 4Pro Tip 1/3Legal Outcome Used when someone is officially found responsible for a crime by a court. After the trial, the jury found the defendant guilty. Pro Tip 2/3Pleading Acceptance 'Plead guilty' means accepting responsibility for a crime before the court. The accused decided to plead guilty to get a reduced sentence. Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Guilty Someone can 'plead guilty' and still be innocent, often due to a plea bargain. He wasn't the thief, but he pleaded guilty to avoid a longer trial.