perpetrator
Americannoun
-
perpetrators
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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. ); see perpetrate ( def. )
Explanation
A perpetrator is someone who has committed a crime — or at least done something pretty bad. You've probably seen cops on TV trying to get a description of the perpetrator of a bank heist. The word perpetrator is so often associated with crime that police officers and other criminal justice types sometimes abbreviate it “perp.” A perpetrator is often a suspect until it has been proven that he or she carried out the offense. The word usually describes someone who's committed a crime, but any wrongdoing will do. If someone took Uncle Bob's cake and a trail of crumbs leads to your bedroom, your mom will know who the likely perpetrator is.
Vocabulary lists containing perpetrator
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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.
See Examples For:
In that case, the perpetrator was determined to be a disgruntled patient, Derderian said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
He damns terrorists with faint praise, as when he condemned the attack on a Jewish school in West Bloomfield, Mich., before excusing the perpetrator with the words “hurt people do hurt people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The nun recovered from her head injuries and the perpetrator was quickly detained, but victims and rights groups say most incidents, which are usually nonviolent, go unpunished.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
An aide to France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police were working "to find the perpetrator, who has fled".
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Joe was made to say in court what the victim remembered her assailant saying to her, but she testified that Joe's voice “could very easily be” that of the perpetrator.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Hochman also said that his office has made it a priority to aggressively prosecute hate crimes and push back against allowing perpetrators of violent hate crimes to receive mental health diversion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Frank Garza said, as many perpetrators only communicate through burner social media accounts or ask for money through difficult-to-trace platforms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
More generally, he added, "this withdrawal weakens the international architecture of criminal justice and heightens fears that the perpetrators of the most serious crimes will escape any prosecution".
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
She added there was always more action to be taken to protect victims, and wants to see robust sentences for convicted perpetrators.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
All hands would be on deck to make sure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
