General
perp
What does perp mean?
Cop shorthand for perpetrator — the person who did the crime, or at least the one being collared for it. Loved by US police procedurals; 'perp walk' is when they parade a cuffed suspect past the cameras on purpose.
"Two unis grabbed the perp two blocks from the scene."
Origin
Clipping of 'perpetrator', US police jargon, popularised on TV via Law & Order and NYPD Blue.
Frequently asked questions
What does perp mean?
Perp is short for perpetrator — the suspect tied to a crime.
How do you use perp in a sentence?
"They caught the perp two blocks from the scene."
Where does the word perp come from?
It's an abbreviation of 'perpetrator', long used in American police and crime-drama slang.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
