What does wrongdoer mean?
A wrongdoer is a person who performs a wrongful act, especially one that breaks the law or violates accepted moral and social standards. The word can refer to a criminal suspect or defendant, but it is also used more broadly for someone whose behavior is considered harmful, dishonest, or unethical. In news and legal reporting, it commonly identifies the person thought to be responsible for an offense. In literature and discussion, it may describe an ordinary person who makes a serious moral choice, sometimes emphasizing the social conditions that led to that behavior. The related noun wrongdoing refers to the conduct itself rather than the person responsible for it. Wrongdoer is useful when the focus is on an agent of wrongdoing, while wrongdoing is preferable when the focus is on an act, policy, or pattern of behavior.
nounA wrongdoer is a person who does something wrong, especially someone who breaks a law or violates accepted moral or social standards.
- A person who does something wrong, especially someone who breaks a law or violates accepted moral or social standards.
"The court ordered the wrongdoer to make full restitution for the damage."
"The police are searching for the wrongdoer who damaged the historic building."
"In her novel, she examines the lives of ordinary people who become wrongdoers under pressure."
The standard plural form is wrongdoers.
"The report identifies several wrongdoers responsible for the fraud."
A wrongdoer is the person behind the wrongdoing, while wrongdoing names the act.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wrongdoer come from?
Wrongdoer is a compound formed from wrong and doer. The element wrong comes from Old English wrang, meaning "crooked" or "wrong," while doer is an agent noun formed from do, which derives from Old English dōn. The compound combines these elements in the sense of "one who does wrong."
Related word forms
How wrongdoer is actually used
Generally neutral to formal, though it often carries an evaluative or moral judgment. It is used in legal, journalistic, literary, and everyday contexts in both British and American English.
Easily confused with wrongdoer
A wrongdoer is the person responsible for wrongdoing, whereas wrongdoing is the wrongful act or conduct itself.