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# perpetrator

noun (a perpetrator, perpetrators)

«perpetrator» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(formal, law) A perpetrator is a person who does something wrong or harmful, especially a crime. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/#m1)

### In the lessons

In news, police reports and detective stories: «the perpetrator was caught», «police are looking for the perpetrators». In anti-bullying talk: the perpetrator and the victim. It tells the reader who did the bad act.

### Examples

- Police are searching for the perpetrator. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/#x1)
- The perpetrator of the prank owned up. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/#x2)
- Who was the perpetrator of this mess? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/#x3)
- The detective found the perpetrator. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/#x4)
- Bullying hurts both the victim and, in the long run, the perpetrator. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/#x5)
- The perpetrators were sent to prison. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/#x6)

### Note

Formal. Verb: perpetrate (do something wrong). Everyday words: culprit, wrongdoer. Spelling: per-pe-tra-tor. Do not confuse with «perpetual» (lasting for ever).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «perpetrator» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perpetrator/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«perpetrator» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/perpetrator.html) on Mova free.