perpetrate

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/ˈpɜː(ɹ).pəˌtɹeɪt/

verb

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

“perpetrate a murder”

Similar
commitpull
OriginMiddle English perpetrat ← Latin perpetrātus →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

verbperpetrate (third-person singular simple present perpetrates, present participle perpetrating, simple past and past participle perpetrated)

present singular third person perpetrates · participle present perpetrating · participle past perpetrated · past perpetrated

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

    perpetrate a murder

    1 more example

    What Polina is good for is to fall head over ears in love. That is MY opinion. Look at her—especially when she is sitting alone, and plunged in thought. All this was pre-ordained and foretold, and is accursed. Polina could perpetrate any mad act. She—she—But who called me by name?" I broke off.

    1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter VIII, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(1867)/VIII)

Synonyms & antonyms

verbperform an act, usually with a negative connotation

Similar
commitpull
Broader
actmove
Also see
commitpull

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinperpetrātus
  2. Middle Englishperpetrat“committed, perpetrated”
  3. Englishperpetrate

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

More words from Middle English, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian извършвам
  • извършвам (izvăršvam)to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Catalan perpetrar
  • perpetrarto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Czech páchat
  • páchatto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Danish begå
  • begåto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Dutch begaan
  • begaanto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Finnish tehdä, syyllistyä
  • tehdäto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • syyllistyäto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • suorittaato be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
French perpétrer, commettre
  • perpétrerto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • commettreto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
German begehen, verüben
  • begehento be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • verübento be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Hungarian elkövet
  • elkövetto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Icelandic fremja
  • fremjato be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Italian perpetrare
  • perpetrareto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Polish popełniać, popełnić
  • popełniaćto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • popełnićto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • dopuszczać sięto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • dopuścić sięto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Portuguese perpetrar
  • perpetrarto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Romanian comite
  • comiteto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Russian совершать, соверши́ть
  • совершать (soveršatʹ)to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • соверши́ть (soveršítʹ)to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Spanish perpetrar
  • perpetrarto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Swedish begå
  • begåto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Turkish işlemek
  • işlemekto be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Ukrainian вчиня́ти, вчини́ти
  • вчиня́ти (včynjáty)to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
  • вчини́ти (včynýty)to be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Welsh cyflawni
  • cyflawnito be guilty of, or responsible for; to commit — see also commit
Cite this entry
APA

perpetrate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perpetrate

MLA

“perpetrate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perpetrate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perpetrate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perpetrate.

Source: perpetrate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.