How to say "culprit" in Japanese

• 犯人はんにんJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe 'culprit' of a specific incident: the person who actually committed the crime in question. It points to one identifiable individual, the way detective stories and police investigations talk about who did it.
  その犯人はんにんはまだつかまっていない。↗

  The criminal is still at large.
• 犯罪者はんざいしゃCommon
  nounLeans toward the 'criminal' sense: it labels someone as a person who commits crimes, fitting general talk about crime and punishment; for the culprit of one specific case, 犯人 is the natural choice.
  ベンは犯罪者はんざいしゃだと信しんじられていた。↗

  Ben was believed to be a criminal.

For 'culprit' meaning the person behind a specific incident, 犯人 is the natural choice; 犯罪者 suits the broader 'criminal' sense, describing someone as a person who commits crimes rather than naming who did a particular deed.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 犯人はんにんoffender
• 犯罪者はんざいしゃcriminal
• 犯罪人はんざいにんcriminal
• 星ほしperp