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

It was recovered two years later in Florence when the perpetrator tried to sell it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“Now, with French authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice identifying Dmitry Klyuev as the mastermind, we finally see a trial against the key perpetrator of the $230 million fraud uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky.”

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 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

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 • Dec. 22, 2025

Finally, the prosecution presented testimony from the victim, who, despite being coached through a rehearsal of her testimony outside the presence of the jury, could not affirmatively identify Joe Sullivan as the perpetrator.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• crook
• culprit
• miscreant
• trespasser
• violator