perp

¹ American

[purp] / pɜrp /

noun

Police Slang.

the perpetrator of a crime.

perp. ² American

abbreviation

perpendicular.

perp British

/ pɜːp /

noun

informal a person who has committed a crime

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of perp

C20: from _perpetrate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk,” said the lawyer, Jim Trusty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

During a perp walk, law enforcement publicly escort a person accused of a crime as they are transported outside a police station or courthouse, usually in view of media cameras.

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2025

Hey, all due respect, we think the opportunity to set the record straight on your perp lineup is an offer no mug could refuse.

From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2023

"He wanted a perp walk; he wanted daylight hours," the source said.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2023

That wasn’t so bad if the perp was humanoid.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023