Standard Lemma guide

perpetrate

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɜː(ɹ).pəˌtɹeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER1 P AH0 T R EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To be guilty of, or responsible for a crime etc; to commit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • perpetrate a murder

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

perform an act, usually with a negative connotation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • perpetrate a crime
  • pull a bank robbery

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: commit, pull

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, move

Narrower terms: make, recommit

History

Etymology

From Middle English perpetrat (“committed, perpetrated”), from Latin perpetrātus, past participle of perpetrāre (“to carry through”).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: извършвам (izvǎršvam) — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Catalan: perpetrar — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Czech: páchat — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Danish: begå — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Dutch: begaan — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Finnish: tehdä — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Finnish: syyllistyä — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Finnish: suorittaa — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • French: perpétrer — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • French: commettre — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Georgian: ჩაიდენს (čaidens) — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • German: begehen — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • German: verüben — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Hungarian: elkövet — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Icelandic: fremja — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Italian: perpetrare — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Polish: popełniać — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Polish: popełnić — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Polish: dopuszczać się — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Polish: dopuścić się — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Portuguese: perpetrar — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Romanian: comite — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Russian: совершать (soveršatʹ) — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Russian: соверши́ть (soveršítʹ) — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Spanish: perpetrar — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Swedish: begå — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Turkish: işlemek — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Ukrainian: вчиня́ти (včynjáty) — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Ukrainian: вчини́ти (včynýty) — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • Welsh: cyflawni — to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit