Perpetred

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Carried out or committed a crime, offence, or other wrongful act against someone
2. Acted as the person responsible for doing something harmful, illegal, or wrong
3. Was the one who committed a deed that is considered criminal or morally wrong

Etymology: This is a misspelling of "perpetrated," the past tense and participle of "perpetrate." The Latin source, "perpetrare," meant simply "to carry through" or "to bring about," with no suggestion of wrongdoing. It combined "per-," meaning "through" or "thoroughly," with "patrare," "to accomplish." English borrowed the verb around the early 1600s, and it kept that neutral sense for a while before narrowing to the commission of crimes and offences. The noun "perpetrator" was formed from the verb later, in the 1600s. Its appearance alongside the crime sense suggests the shift was already well under way by then.

Synonyms: committed, carried out, executed, performed, wrought

Antonyms: avoided, prevented, stopped, refrained, abstained