perpetrator

[pur-pi-trey-ter]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of perpetrator¹

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

That very vulnerability is what is preyed upon by perpetrators.

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The perpetrator would have to keep at least one clue from his victims to feign innocence, but a subtle inconsistency would allow others to infer his guilt.

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"The delays in bringing perpetrators to court really does add insult to injury," said Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association.

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To date, no official action has been publicly disclosed against perpetrators.

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But the junta's military backer China has been increasingly irked at the number of its citizens who are both perpetrators and victims of the scams, experts say.

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Related Words

• crook 
• culprit 
• miscreant 
• trespasser www.thesaurus.com
• violator www.thesaurus.com