perpetrated

American

[pur-pi-trey-tid] / ˈpɜr pɪˌtreɪ tɪd /

adjective

(of a crime, injustice, hoax, prank, etc.) committed or carried out.

I concluded that the entire argument for the war might be not only dubious, but a deliberately perpetrated sham.
(of something tasteless, false, poorly executed, etc.) presented, made, performed, etc..

This piece of unholy perpetrated music is a self-portrait of the artist as a maniac, without a trace of beauty in it.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of perpetrate.

Other Word Forms

unperpetrated

adjective

Etymology

Origin of perpetrated

perpetrate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The article leaves room for debate about whether Platner actually perpetrated the worst offenses, which he denies, and whether those offenses should be disqualifying for a Senate candidate.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

He slowly became obsessed with the idea that high fees were a moral wrong perpetrated on American investors by an ethically bankrupt Wall Street fund-management industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

But George told AFP it is "unlikely" the gym shooting was perpetrated by Iranian government agents.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The scale of damage perpetrated by the regime is still being collectively processed.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

People began to assume it was all just an outlandish hoax perpetrated by a rich nut job.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023