Malefactor

//ˈmæləˌfæktɚ// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A criminal or felon.
  2. 2
    someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime wordnet
  3. 3
    An evildoer.

    "‘Pull yourself together, Bradshaw,’ said the lawyer. ‘This suspense, I know, is telling upon all of you; but it is now our intention to make an end of it. Poole, here, and I are going to force our way into the cabinet. If all is well, my shoulders are broad enough to bear the blame. Meanwhile, lest anything should really be amiss, or any malefactor seek to escape by the back, you and the boy must go round the corner with a pair of good sticks, and take your post at the laboratory door."

Synonyms

All synonyms
criminalevildoerbad actorbad personbastardblackguard

Example

More examples

"For years past I have continually been conscious of some power behind the malefactor, some deep organising power which forever stands in the way of the law."

Etymology

From Middle English malefactour, from Late Latin malefactor, from Latin malefaciō, from male (“evilly”) + factus (“made or done”), past participle of facio (“I make or do”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.