perpetrator

[ pur-pi-trey-ter ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of perpetrator¹

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

Disorder spread across the UK during the summer partly due to false claims online about the alleged perpetrator involved in the murder of three girls in Southport in July.

From BBC

Amid a national outcry over the Zhuhai incident, President Xi Jinping has vowed "severe punishment" for the perpetrator.

From BBC

Police suspect the perpetrator came from abroad.

From BBC

She also spoke after the first assassination attempt on her husband, calling for unity and labelling the perpetrator a “monster”.

From BBC

The perpetrator was caught on another business’ security camera but couldn’t be identified from the photo, according to Cohen.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crook
• culprit
• miscreant
• trespasser
• violator