1
as in criminal
a person who commits moral wrongs
she regards anyone who would cause the breakup of a family as a malefactor of the worst sort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
the victim was able to give a clear description of the malefactor to the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malefactor
On social media, Tan was pugilistic to the point of belligerence, casting his political enemies as corrupt malefactors responsible for the despoliation of his beloved city.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Some malefactors even hire out farms of humans to defeat them in bulk.
CAPTCHAs also have unexpected benefits for those who run them.
—ArsTechnica, 28 July 2025
Its victims, malefactors, and investigators are largely without personality, their function being merely to leave or follow trails, and to wear out a reader with anticlimax after anticlimax.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Either way, The Lowdown finds Harjo dipping into pleasantly familiar reservoirs of fiction in which the protagonists know how to take a constant beating, the malefactors are all suspiciously verbose and ostentatious hats abound.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for malefactor
Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Some malefactors even hire out farms of humans to defeat them in bulk.
CAPTCHAs also have unexpected benefits for those who run them.
—ArsTechnica, 28 July 2025
Its victims, malefactors, and investigators are largely without personality, their function being merely to leave or follow trails, and to wear out a reader with anticlimax after anticlimax.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Either way, The Lowdown finds Harjo dipping into pleasantly familiar reservoirs of fiction in which the protagonists know how to take a constant beating, the malefactors are all suspiciously verbose and ostentatious hats abound.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for malefactor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malefactor
Noun
-
The scheme is designed to identify suspected criminals, combat identity fraud, and to police the EU's limit on 90-day stays within a 180-day period, according to the European Commission.—
Emma Clarke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Rex Heuermann, the man known as the Gilgo Beach killer, admitted to killing eight women over a span of decades, and the FBI is now looking into what motivated the 62-year-old to carry out his crimes to help capture other criminals in the future.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The unlawful taking of items from within a building which is either open to the general public or to which the offender has legal access.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Apr. 2026
-
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, Gregory Keyier-Deniro Davis was also found guilty of four counts of felony firearm, felony assault, assault with intent to commit great bodily harm and habitual offender.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Anderson frames his argument largely in relation to the thought of thirteenth-century theologian Thomas Aquinas, who argued that Christians are generally obliged to directly confront someone who is behaving wrongly, and to do it in private to preserve the wrongdoer’s reputation.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Mar. 2026
-
He’s talked tough in news conferences about prosecuting child predators, drug traffickers and assorted wrongdoers.—
Dan Sullivan,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In fact, the pointed hoods of nazarenos are inspired by clothes used to shame sinners during the Spanish Inquisition.—
Alexis Marshall,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the comments, Ivey argued with fans using Bible verses and accused several of being sinners for their beliefs and lifestyles.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The horror film, which is directed by James Watkins, will track the origins of the shape-shifting villain, played by Tom Rhys Harries.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
-
But what makes this situation so hard is that there’s no obvious villain and no dramatic fallout (which, in some ways, would almost be easier to deal with).—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malefactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malefactor. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
