malefactor

[ mal-uh-fak-ter ]

noun

1. a person who violates the law; criminal.

   Synonyms: culprit, felon

2. a person who does harm or evil, especially toward another.

   Antonyms: benefactor

malefactor

/ ˈmælɪˌfæktə /

noun

1. a criminal; wrongdoer

Derived Forms

• ˈmaleˌfactress, noun:feminine
• ˈmaleˌfaction, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of malefactor¹

1400–50; late Middle English malefactour < Latin malefactor, equivalent to malefac ( ere ) to act wickedly, do an evil deed ( male-, fact ) + -tor -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of malefactor¹

C15: via Old French from Latin, from malefacere to do evil

Example Sentences

As it happened, however, this week reporters were busy asking for — and getting — Democrats’ reaction to the other big crime news in politics, about the alleged malefactor and repeat indictee in their party: Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

From Los Angeles Times

“There are multiple possible explanations for the apparent discrepancy between the failure to identify a malefactor and the plausibility of directed energy as a mechanism. One should not necessarily discount the latter,” Relman told The Post.

From Washington Post

Yet election deniers, including Trump himself, have vilified it as a rogue partisan malefactor dead set on stuffing the ballot boxes with illegal Democratic votes.

From Slate

Donald Trump, who called Putin’s barbaric strategy “genius” and “savvy” after spending four years legitimizing that malefactor, also comes out a loser.

From New York Times

“We have before us a great challenge with the increase in deforestation rates in the Amazon,” Mr. Bolsonaro wrote in the April 14 letter, which argues that Brazil’s reputation as an environmental malefactor is undeserved.

From New York Times