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criminal Definition

crimi·nal (krim′ə nəl)

adjective

  1. having the nature of crime; being a crime
    1. involving or relating to crime
    2. dealing with law cases involving crime
  3. guilty of crime
  4. Informal regrettable or deplorable

Etymology: ME < OFr criminel < L criminalis < crimen: see crime

noun

a person guilty of, or legally convicted of, a crime

criminal Related Forms

crim′i·nally adverb

criminal Synonyms

criminal

modif.

unlawful, felonious, illegal, wrongful; see illegal, wicked 1, 2.

criminal Synonyms

criminal

n.

lawbreaker, convict, malefactor, felon, crook*, hardened criminal, underworld character, evildoer*, sinner*, culprit*, offender, perpetrator, perp*, outlaw*, fugitive*, public enemy*, desperado*, hoodlum*, gangster*, wrongdoer*, delinquent*, transgressor*, miscreant*, recidivist*, mobster*, scofflaw*. *

Criminals include: traitor, murderer, manslayer, assassin, blackmailer, black marketeer, killer, rapist, molester, thug, gangster, raider, burglar, safecracker, quitting-business promoter, racketeer, swindler, clip artist, griffer, confidence man*, con man*, thief, robber, outlaw, highway man, bandit, sneak thief, cat burglar, second-story man, cattle thief*, rustler*, horse thief, pickpocket, grafter, arsonist, counterfeiter, forger, check artist*, smuggler, buccaneer, extortionist, embezzler, kidnapper, mugger, gunman, trigger man, hit man, torpedo plugger, accomplice*, ringer*, stooge*, briber*, fixer*, absconder, convict, con*, dope peddler, drug dealer, pusher*.

criminal Law Definition

n

  1. One who has committed a crime.
  2. One who has been convicted of a crime.
  3. Constituting, implying, or involving a crime or an element of a crime.
  4. Pertaining to some aspect of the penal code or its administration.
career criminal
One who repeatedly commits crimes, especially of the same type. See also habitual criminal.
habitual criminal
One who has been convicted of one or more crimes in the past and, as a result, is subject to a more severe sentence under the habitual offender statute of a state for any subsequent crime that they commit. Also called habitual offender. See also career criminal and three-strikes law.

criminal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • convict: Even convicted criminals often escaped the death penalty by securing a Royal Pardon.
  • deter: The tracking of IP addresses helps deter criminals from using your store to place charges on stolen cards.
  • indict: America was a strong force in helping to depose this indicted war criminal who was a major obstacle to progress.
  • punish: Second, we have to strengthen the forces of law and order, to reduce the fear of crime and to punish criminals effectively.
  • apprehend: Governments are creating large DNA databases of suspects, if not the entire population of a nation, so as to better apprehend criminals.
  • deport: The prison service must minimize risk by deporting criminals direct from prison and not via the asylum detention estate.

Adjective modifier

  • hardened: Actually, the more you can look and talk like a hardened criminal, the higher your chances of being a hit.
  • Nazi: By placing us in the head of a Nazi war criminal he conveys this message clearly.
  • suspected: Every fortnight the entire division is briefed on a list of five ' targets ' - either individuals or teams of suspected criminals.
  • habitual: It was now believed that many criminals were habitual criminals and nothing would change them.
  • violent: The likelihood that a violent criminal will act violently in the future can be estimated based on resting brain scans.
  • dangerous: As a civilian working among dangerous criminals, his safety should have been of paramount importance.

Modifies a noun

  • offense: Failure to disclose your business details is a criminal offense through the Business Names Act 1985.
  • justice: By its nature, criminal justice is almost entirely negative.
  • conviction: I have a criminal conviction - will I still be able to adopt or foster?
  • proceeding: Where legal aid is granted to the accused in criminal proceedings, he or she is not required to pay any contribution toward expenses.
  • prosecution: A majority support criminal prosecution against those who criticize or insult Islam.
  • damage: There were 13 people arrested for criminal damage, all of whom have been released pending further inquiries.

Noun used with modifier

  • cyber: Their bodies are ideally suited to hunt cyber criminals.
  • war: By placing us in the head of a Nazi war criminal he conveys this message clearly.