perpetrator

American  

[pur-pi-trey-ter] / ˈpɜr pɪˌtreɪ tər /

noun

1. a person who perpetrates, or commits, an illegal, criminal, or evil act.

   The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be found and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

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Etymology

Origin of perpetrator

First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin, from Latin perpetrāt(us), past participle of perpetrāre “to carry out, execute, perform” + -or -or ¹ ( def. ); perpetrate ( def. )

Example Sentences

Germany, she said, was "an absolute haven for perpetrators".

From BBC

Victimization doesn’t just happen because a person from a minority group is standing around, there’s almost always a perpetrator.

From Los Angeles Times

The diversity of the attacks and the perpetrators makes matters worse.

From Los Angeles Times

"If they were being exposed, they would definitely stop," she said of alleged perpetrators.

From BBC

Eventually, the perpetrator behind the Discord server mentioned in the new lawsuit was arrested.

From BBC

Related Words

• crook
• culprit
• miscreant
• trespasser
• violator