You searched for: “perpetrate”
perpetrate (verb), perpetrates; perpetrated; perpetrating
1. To carry out, or to commit, a harmful, illegal, or immoral action; such as, some kind of crime, fraud, trick, etc.: A crime was perpetrated against the innocent family last night when their house was burglarized.
2. Etymology: from Latin perpetrare, perpetratus, "to perform, to accomplish"; from per-, "completely" + patrare, "to carry out, bring to pass"; originally "to bring into existence", from pater, "father".

The reference in Latin was "neither good nor bad", but when it was used in England in legal statutes; it came to mean, "to perform criminally".

To do an offense.
© ALL rights are reserved.

To commit a criminal act.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

This entry is located in the following unit: per- (page 8)
perpetrate, perpetuate
perpetrate (PUR pi trayt") (verb)
To bring about, to commit a crime, to impose a hoax: The police will try to find out who could perpetrate such an offence in the quiet neighborhood.
perpetuate (puhr PECH oo ayt") (verb)
To cause to last a long time or indefinitely; to preserve from oblivion: By writing a biography, William tried to perpetuate the memory of his parents and their ordeals as pioneers living in the desert.

Unless the criminal is caught, he or she will continue to perpetrate more crimes which tend to perpetuate more fear in the community.

This entry is located in the following unit: Confusing Words Clarified: Group P; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. + (page 4)
Word Entries at Get Words: “perpetrate”
perpetrate, perpetrates; perpetrated; perpetrating
To commit an illegal or immoral act; such as, some kind of a crime, a fraud, or a dirty trick. (2)
This entry is located in the following unit: Word a Day Revisited Index of Cartoons Illustrating the Meanings of Words (page 60)