[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/wrongdoer/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [W](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/w/) / wrongdoer

# wrongdoer

noun (a wrongdoer, wrongdoers)

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

## Everyday

1. A wrongdoer is a person who does something bad or against the law. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#m1)
2. (Bible, formal) In older and church language, wrongdoers are sinners — people who do wrong in God's eyes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#m2)

### In the lessons

In news and law, wrongdoers are punished or must make amends; in ethics lessons pupils ask how to treat wrongdoers fairly — punishment, forgiveness, or a second chance. In stories the hero catches the wrongdoer. It is a slightly formal word; children more often say "the bad guy" or "the person who did it". Phrases: punish the wrongdoer, bring wrongdoers to justice.

### Examples

- The police wanted to find the wrongdoer quickly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#x1)
- The judge said wrongdoers must pay for the damage. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#x2)
- In the story, the knight chased the wrongdoer through the forest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#x3)
- Jesus ate with sinners and wrongdoers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#x4)
- Our teacher said the wrongdoer should own up. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#x5)
- Should a wrongdoer always be punished, or sometimes forgiven? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wrongdoer/#x6)

### Note

Countable; one word. Made from "wrong + do + er". Verb phrase: do wrong (did wrong). Formal; in law the usual word is "offender" or "criminal".

## On Mova

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