criminal

From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɪmənəl/

• Audio (US)

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criminal (comparative more criminal, superlative most criminal)

1. Against the law; forbidden by law.
   • Addison

     Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves.

2. Guilty of breaking the law.
   • Rogers

     The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God.

3. Of or relating to crime or penal law.
   • Hallam

     The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject […] were in some cases liable to criminal process.

   His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.

4. (figuratively) Abhorrent or very undesirable.

   Printing such asinine opinions is criminal!

• Nouns to which "criminal" is often applied: law, justice, court, procedure, prosecution, intent, case, record, act, action, behavior, code, offence, liability, investigation, conduct, defense, trial, history, responsibility, lawyer, tribunal, appeal, process, background, mind, conspiracy, evidence, gang, organization, underworld, jurisprudence, offender, jury, police, past, group, punishment, attorney, violence, report, career, psychology.

• crimeful
• illegal
• delictuous

criminal (plural criminals)

1. A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess‎:

     ‘[…] There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’

   Synonyms: lawbreaker, offender, perpetrator

• See also Thesaurus:criminal

• person

• cybercriminal
• thought criminal

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis, from Latin crīmen.

criminal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular criminale)

1. criminal; illegal; against the law

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɾi.mi.ˈnaɫ/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kɾi.mi.ˈnaw/

criminal m or f (plural criminais, not comparable)

1. (law) criminal (of or relating to crime or penal law)

   Antecedente criminal.

   Criminal record.

Borrowed from French criminel, Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen.

• IPA^(key): [kri.miˈnal]

criminal m (plural criminali, feminine equivalent criminală)

1. criminal, felon, perpetrator, offender, lawbreaker
2. murderer, slayer
3. cutthroat, thug

criminal m or n (feminine singular criminală, masculine plural criminali, feminine and neuter plural criminale)

1. criminal, felonious, lawbreaking
2. murderous, homicidal
3. cutthroat

criminal

1. criminally

• crimă

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

• IPA^(key): /kɾimiˈnal/

criminal (plural criminales)

1. criminal

criminal m or f (plural criminales)

1. A criminal

• crimen
• criminalidad
• criminalista m
• criminalizar
• acriminar