Perpetrate
verbBase perpetrate · Past perpetrated · Past Participle perpetrated · Present Participle perpetrating · 3rd person perpetrates
Definition
1. (verb) To commit a crime or a violent or harmful act — used in formal, legal, and news contexts.
2. (verb) To carry out something dishonest or deceptive, such as a fraud or a hoax.
2. (verb) To carry out something dishonest or deceptive, such as a fraud or a hoax.
Context Alive
You are watching the evening news and the reporter says police have finally arrested the man who perpetrated a series of armed robberies across the city over the past six months. They show CCTV clips from three different shops and explain how detectives linked all the cases together. The suspect is being held without bail. You turn to your flatmate and say you had no idea the same person was behind all of them.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 To Commit a Crime or Harmful Act (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about actually carrying out a crime or a violent act. Imagine a group of masked men breaking into a warehouse at night and stealing thousands of pounds worth of electronics — they perpetrated a robbery that made the front page the next day. This is describing the act of doing the crime, not just planning it. You might read "the attack was perpetrated by a lone individual" in a news report, or a judge could say "the crime perpetrated against these victims was extremely serious" during sentencing. Or picture a neighbourhood where someone has been setting cars on fire — residents are terrified and demanding to know who is perpetrating these acts. The word suggests something deliberate, serious, and done with full awareness.
✏️ Perpetrate is almost never used in casual speech. You would not say "he perpetrated a mistake" — the word is reserved for acts that are genuinely criminal, violent, or deeply harmful. It belongs to the same formal register as "perpetrator." In everyday English, people would say "commit a crime" or "carry out an attack" instead. You will mostly encounter perpetrate in news articles, court documents, and police statements.
2 To Carry Out a Fraud or Deception (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about executing something dishonest — a scam, a hoax, or a cover-up. Imagine a company director who creates fake invoices for years, stealing millions from the business — he perpetrated one of the biggest internal frauds in the company's history. This is describing someone who planned and carried out a deception. You might hear "they perpetrated a massive online scam targeting elderly people", or a journalist could write "the hoax was perpetrated by a small group of insiders". Or think about a fake charity that collected donations for months before anyone realised the whole thing was perpetrated by con artists. The word suggests the act was planned, deliberate, and meant to deceive.
✏️ When perpetrate is used for fraud or deception, it carries a tone of serious accusation. It is stronger than "committed" and suggests the speaker or writer considers the act especially calculated and harmful. Journalists favour this word because it signals wrongdoing without needing to add extra opinion — the verb does the heavy lifting on its own.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
perpetrate + noun (a crime, an attack, fraud) → the standard pattern — what was done follows directly
The gang perpetrated a series of armed robberies across the region.
perpetrate + noun + against + someone → specifying who was harmed
The violence perpetrated against civilians shocked the world.
be perpetrated by + someone → passive form — very common in news and legal language
The fraud was perpetrated by a former employee over several years.
Common Structures
those who perpetrate + noun → referring to the people behind the act
Those who perpetrate hate crimes will face severe penalties.
perpetrate + noun + on a large scale → emphasising the size or impact of the act
The scam was perpetrated on a massive scale across three countries.
perpetrate + noun + with impunity → doing it without facing consequences
For years he perpetrated these acts with complete impunity.
Collocations
10 collocationsperpetrate a crime
to commit a criminal act
perpetrate an attack
to carry out an assault or violent act
perpetrate fraud
to carry out a financial deception
perpetrate violence
to commit violent acts against people
perpetrate a hoax
to plan and carry out a deception
perpetrate an act of terrorism
to carry out a terrorist attack
perpetrate abuse
to commit acts of mistreatment or cruelty
perpetrate injustice
to carry out unfair or unjust acts
perpetrate a scam
to execute a dishonest money scheme
perpetrate atrocities
to commit extremely cruel and violent acts
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
The gang perpetrated a series of armed robberies in broad daylight.
The group carried out several armed holdups during the day for everyone to see.
2
Police believe the attack was perpetrated by someone with inside knowledge.
Officers think the assault was carried out by a person who knew the place from the inside.
3
He perpetrated the fraud for over a decade before anyone noticed.
He ran the scam for more than ten years without being caught.
4
The violence perpetrated against the protesters drew international criticism.
The brutal treatment of the demonstrators attracted condemnation from around the world.
5
Those who perpetrate hate crimes should face the full weight of the law.
People who commit crimes motivated by hatred deserve the harshest legal punishment.
6
The online scam was perpetrated by a group of hackers based overseas.
The internet fraud was carried out by a team of foreign-based computer criminals.
7
She exposed the injustice that had been perpetrated against factory workers for years.
She revealed the unfair treatment that factory employees had suffered for a long time.
8
The hoax was cleverly perpetrated and fooled thousands of people online.
The fake story was skilfully executed and tricked thousands of internet users.
9
Investigators are trying to determine who perpetrated the break-in at the museum.
Detectives are working to find out who carried out the burglary at the museum.
10
The abuse was perpetrated behind closed doors for years before victims spoke up.
The mistreatment took place in private for years until the victims finally came forward.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymscommit
the most common everyday alternative — less formal but same meaning
carry out
neutral and widely used, works for both crimes and plans
execute
more formal, often used for planned operations or schemes
Antonymsprevent
to stop something harmful from happening
thwart
to block or stop someone's plan from succeeding
deter
to discourage someone from doing something harmful