Standard Lemma guide

perpetrator

noun · 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).pɪˌtɹeɪt.ə(ɹ)/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER1 P AH0 T R EY2 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who perpetrates; especially, one who commits an offence or crime.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • perpetrator of violence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: collar, deeder, perp, criminal, crook, committer, culprit, delinquent, desperado, double-dealer, felon, hoodlum, lawbreaker, lowlife, malefactor, malfeasant, offender, outlaw, perpetrator, public enemy, scofflaw, undesirable

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

someone who perpetrates wrongdoing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: culprit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wrongdoer, offender

History

Etymology

From Latin perpetrātor. By surface analysis, perpetrate + -or.

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: парушальнік (parušalʹnik) — one who perpetrates
  • Belarusian: парушальніца (parušalʹnica) — one who perpetrates
  • Belarusian: віноўнік (vinównik) — one who perpetrates
  • Belarusian: віноўніца (vinównica) — one who perpetrates
  • Bulgarian: извърши́тел (izvǎršítel) — one who perpetrates
  • Bulgarian: вино́вник (vinóvnik) — one who perpetrates
  • Catalan: perpetrador — one who perpetrates
  • Chinese Mandarin: 作案者 (zuò'ànzhě) — one who perpetrates
  • Chinese Mandarin: 犯罪者 (fànzuìzhě) — one who perpetrates
  • Chinese Mandarin: 實施犯罪的人 /实施犯罪的人 (shíshī fànzuì de rén) — one who perpetrates
  • Chinese Mandarin: 肇事者 (zhàoshìzhě) — one who perpetrates
  • Chinese Mandarin: 實施者 /实施者 (shíshīzhě) — one who perpetrates
  • Czech: pachatel — one who perpetrates
  • Danish: gerningsmand — one who perpetrates
  • Dutch: dader — one who perpetrates
  • Dutch: bedrijver — one who perpetrates
  • Finnish: tekijä — one who perpetrates
  • Finnish: syyllinen — one who perpetrates
  • French: coupable — one who perpetrates
  • Georgian: დამნაშავე (damnašave) — one who perpetrates
  • German: Täter — one who perpetrates
  • German: Täterin — one who perpetrates
  • German: Schuldiger — one who perpetrates
  • German: Schuldige — one who perpetrates
  • Greek: δράστης (drástis) — one who perpetrates
  • Greek: αυτουργός (aftourgós) — one who perpetrates
  • Ancient Greek: αὐθέντης (authéntēs) — one who perpetrates
  • Hungarian: elkövető — one who perpetrates
  • Hungarian: bűnelkövető — one who perpetrates
  • Indonesian: pelaku — one who perpetrates
  • Japanese: 加害者 (kagaisha) — one who perpetrates
  • Korean: 가해자 (gahaeja) — one who perpetrates
  • Latin: patrātor — one who perpetrates
  • Macedonian: сторител (storitel) — one who perpetrates
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjerningsmann — one who perpetrates
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: gjerningsmann — one who perpetrates
  • Polish: sprawca — one who perpetrates
  • Polish: sprawczyni — one who perpetrates
  • Polish: winowajca — one who perpetrates
  • Polish: winowajczyni — one who perpetrates
  • Portuguese: perpetrador — one who perpetrates
  • Romanian: făptaș — one who perpetrates
  • Romanian: făptuitor — one who perpetrates
  • Romanian: vinovatul — one who perpetrates
  • Romanian: vinovata — one who perpetrates
  • Russian: наруши́тель (narušítelʹ) — one who perpetrates
  • Russian: наруши́тельница (narušítelʹnica) — one who perpetrates
  • Russian: вино́вник (vinóvnik) — one who perpetrates
  • Russian: вино́вница (vinóvnica) — one who perpetrates
  • Spanish: perpetrador — one who perpetrates
  • Swedish: gärningsman — one who perpetrates
  • Turkish: fail — one who perpetrates
  • Turkish: sanık — one who perpetrates
  • Turkish: suçlu — one who perpetrates
  • Turkish: mücrim — one who perpetrates
  • Turkish: suç işleyen kimse — one who perpetrates
  • Ukrainian: винува́тець (vynuvátecʹ) — one who perpetrates
  • Ukrainian: винува́тиця (vynuvátycja) — one who perpetrates
  • Ukrainian: зловми́сник (zlovmýsnyk) — one who perpetrates
  • Ukrainian: зловми́сниця (zlovmýsnycja) — one who perpetrates
  • Ukrainian: пору́шник (porúšnyk) — one who perpetrates
  • Ukrainian: пору́шниця (porúšnycja) — one who perpetrates