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

The police have not said anything about the identity of the possible perpetrators.

From BBC

They were then "released with warnings from the perpetrators", the statement said.

From Barron's

The New York Times, Nelson writes, is one perpetrator of that script.

From Los Angeles Times

The Home Office said it was "committed to bringing every perpetrator of this devastating crime to justice", and would announce a fraud strategy in the new year.

From BBC

“Too many times, our society lets people’s mental health deteriorate so significantly that they can either become the victims or the perpetrators of crimes.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crook
• culprit
• miscreant
• trespasser
• violator