perpetrator

[pur-pi-trey-ter]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perpetrator ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for perpetrator

executioner, criminal, soldier, assassin, perpetrator, culprit, miscreant, crook, trespasser, violator, homicide, killer, butcher, slayer, cutthroat, enforcer, malefactor, offender, felon, transgressor

Examples from the Web for perpetrator

Contemporary Examples of perpetrator

Choosing not to pursue a perpetrator is not admittance of lies or false motives.
The Right's Rape Trolls vs. Lena Dunham
Emily Shire
December 10, 2014
However, Brunner was not the only perpetrator of the Holocaust mooching around the streets of the Syrian capital.
Hitler’s Henchmen in Arabia
Guy Walters
December 7, 2014
Ultimately, all it took was the mere mention of a lawyer for the perpetrator to delete the accounts and disappear completely.
A Female Writer’s New Milestone: Her First Death Threat
Annie Gaus
December 1, 2014
Another surveillance video, showing the perpetrator with hammer in hand, is here.
Is Brooklyn Becoming Unsafe for Gays? It Depends On Which Ones
Jay Michaelson
October 18, 2014
I asked Greenberg if there had ever been a Dr. Phil show devoted solely to a perpetrator of a crime.
The Mommy Blogger Who Tried to Kill Her Autistic Daughter Talks to Dr. Phil
Elizabeth Picciuto
October 1, 2014

Historical Examples of perpetrator

His sole ambition just now was to fix the crime definitely on the perpetrator.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
The perpetrator is educated, wise, enjoys the respect of his fellows.
The Hunted Outlaw
Anonymous
She had no doubt who was the perpetrator of this wickedness; but how was she to follow?
A Simple Story
Mrs. Inchbald
But as to the perpetrator, if there where no proofs there were yet fewer doubts.
Bob, Son of Battle
Alfred Ollivant
La Corriveau was arrested as the perpetrator of the atrocious deed.
The Golden Dog
William Kirby

Word Origin and History for perpetrator

literally "the one who did it" (in English usually an evil act), 1560s, from Late Latin perpetrator, agent noun of perpetrare "to perform, to accomplish" (see perpetrate). Fem. forms are perpetratress (1811, of Nero's poisoner Locusta); perpetratrix (1862, in reference to Charlotte Corday).