Malefactor: meaning, definitions and examples

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malefactor

 

[ ˈmælɪˌfæktər ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

criminal behavior

A malefactor is a person who commits a crime or some other wrong deed. Malefactors can range from petty thieves to violent criminals.

Synonyms

criminal, offender, wrongdoer

Examples of usage

  • He was caught red-handed by the police and identified as the malefactor behind the burglary.
  • The town was plagued by a group of malefactors who were responsible for a series of robberies.

Translations

Translations of the word "malefactor" in other languages:

🇵🇹 malfeitor

🇮🇳 अपराधी

🇩🇪 Übeltäter

🇮🇩 penjahat

🇺🇦 злочинець

🇵🇱 przestępca

🇯🇵 悪人 (akunin)

🇫🇷 malfaiteur

🇪🇸 malhechor

🇹🇷 kötü niyetli

🇰🇷 악인 (agin)

🇸🇦 مجرم

🇨🇿 zločinec

🇸🇰 páchateľ

🇨🇳 坏人 (huàirén)

🇸🇮 zločinec

🇮🇸 glæpamaður

🇰🇿 қылмыскер

🇬🇪 დამნაშავე

🇦🇿 cinayətkar

🇲🇽 malhechor

Etymology

The word malefactor originated from the Latin words 'male' (evil) and 'factor' (doer), combining to mean 'evil-doer'. It has been used in English since the late Middle Ages to describe individuals who commit crimes or immoral actions.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #30,822 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.