Perpetration

Perpetration is the act of carrying out or committing a harmful or illegal act. In legal and criminological contexts, it refers to the act itself—the deed that fulfills the elements of a crime—and is contrasted with the person who commits it, the perpetrator.

The term derives from the French word perpétration, from Latin perpetrare “to accomplish; to complete.” It is a formal, technical term used in legal writing, criminology, and academic discussion. Phrases include “perpetration of robbery” or “the perpetration of a crime.”

Scope and use: Perpetration covers a broad range of acts, including violent crimes and property offenses. Some contexts distinguish between the plan or intent to commit an offense and its actual execution, but as a general concept, perpetration denotes the act of carrying out the offense. In many legal systems, the prosecution must prove the actus reus (the guilty act) and the mens rea (intent); the idea of perpetration anchors the actus reus. The offender is the perpetrator; perpetration is about the act, not the person.

Variations and context: In discussions of past events, journalists may describe an incident as the perpetration of a crime; in social science, perpetrators of wrongdoing are studied for motives, methods, and opportunity. In everyday language, “committing a crime” is the more common phrasing, with perpetration reserving a formal or technical tone.