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 ministry initially said the perpetrator had fled.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

Authorities are now investigating whether any of the deaths are related or the work of the same perpetrator.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

These arguments about legal standards for asylum shouldn’t result in a child being detained, because of the level of harm, and the perpetrator of the harm in the individual’s home country.

From Slate • Feb. 2, 2026

Then, a perpetrator arrived on Dec. 12 to collect the lobster shipment at a Taunton, Mass., cold-storage center, run by a third party, where a Rexing customer was storing the lobster.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

It isn’t our job to stop this; we should wait for the police to catch the perpetrator.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• crook
• culprit
• miscreant
• trespasser
• violator