Gepleegde

Gepleegde is a Dutch adjective formed from the past participle of the verb ple­gen, meaning to commit or to perpetrate. It is used to describe an action that has already taken place, most often a crime or other offense. In legal, journalistic, or academic writing, you may encounter phrases like gepleegde misdaad (a crime that was committed) or gepleegde feiten (the committed facts).

Grammar and usage: The base participle is gepelegd? No, it is gepleegd. When used attributively before a noun, the form gepleegde is typical, as in de gepleegde misdaad or de gepleegde daad. In predicative position, after a linking verb, the participle takes the form gepleegd: de misdaad is gepleegd (the crime has been committed). The noun phrase can be plural as well, for example geploegde misdaden or de gepleegde misdaden, depending on the surrounding determiner and noun. The term is neutral and common in formal prose.

Common contexts and nuance: Gepleegde emphasizes that an act has already occurred and has been carried out by someone. It is distinct from plegen in the sense of describing the act as completed, often with accountability implied in criminal or ethical discussions. The word can be paired with a variety of nouns (daad, misdaad, feiten, handelingen) to specify the type of act that was committed.

See also: ple­gen, pleger, misdaad, daad, feiten.