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malefactor

 - 3 dictionary results

mal⋅e⋅fac⋅tor

  [mal-uh-fak-ter]
Use malefactor in a Sentence
–noun
1. a person who violates the law; criminal.
2. a person who does harm or evil, esp. toward another.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME malefactour < L malefactor, equiv. to malefac(ere) to act wickedly, do an evil deed (see male-, fact ) + -tor -tor

Synonyms:
1. felon, culprit.

Antonyms:
2. benefactor.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To malefactor
mal·e·fac·tor   (māl'ə-fāk'tər)   
n.  

  1. One that has committed a crime; a criminal.

  2. An evildoer.


[Middle English malefactour, from Latin malefactor, from malefacere, to do wrong : male, ill; see mel-3 in Indo-European roots + facere, to do; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]
mal'e·fac'tion (-fāk'shən) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

malefactor 
c.1440, from L. malefactor, from malefactus, pp. of malefacere "to do evil," from male "badly" + facere "to perform" (see factitious).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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