crim·i·nal
ˈkri-mə-nᵊl 
ˈkrim-nəl
1
: relating to, involving, or being a crime
criminal neglect
a criminal organization
2
: relating to crime or to the prosecution of suspects in a crime
criminal statistics
brought criminal action
the criminal justice system
3
: guilty of crime
also
: of or befitting a criminal
a criminal mind
4
: disgraceful
It's criminal how unfunny this comedy is.—
Rick Bentley
Rick Bentley
criminally
adverb
1
: one who has committed a crime
2
: a person who has been convicted of a crime
Examples of criminal in a Sentence
Adjective
a history of criminal behavior
The captain of the wrecked boat was accused of criminal negligence.
The company brought criminal charges against her.
It's criminal that the government is doing nothing to stop the problem.
Noun
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Recent Examples on the Web
Bradford Betz , Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
As of press time, prices are hovering around $4,400 per ounce, about double the price just two years ago, drawing the attention of criminal groups looking to abuse the land and the local people for considerable profit.
—Jill Newman, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2026
Julie Watts, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet this man, who then disappeared into the tunnels of the NYC subway system and remained on the lam for nine days, was not reviled as a vicious and violent criminal by a stunning number of New Yorkers, particularly white ones.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
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Adjective
The sheriff said investigators are not ruling out foul play and noted that the circumstances were serious enough to involve the department’s criminal investigation unit.
—Bradford Betz , Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
As of press time, prices are hovering around $4,400 per ounce, about double the price just two years ago, drawing the attention of criminal groups looking to abuse the land and the local people for considerable profit.
—Jill Newman, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
It's estimated that California lost more than $20 billion to pandemic unemployment fraud when EDD issued billions in fraudulent payments to criminals while out-of-work Californians struggled to get an EDD rep on the phone, let alone get paid.
—Julie Watts, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet this man, who then disappeared into the tunnels of the NYC subway system and remained on the lam for nine days, was not reviled as a vicious and violent criminal by a stunning number of New Yorkers, particularly white ones.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminal. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
criminal
1 of 2 adjective
crim·i·nal
ˈkrim-ən-ᵊl
ˈkrim-nəl
1
: being or guilty of a crime
a criminal act
2
: relating to crime or its punishment
criminal court
criminality
noun
ˌkrim-ə-ˈnal-ət-ē
criminally
adverb
ˈkrim-ən-ᵊl-ē,
-nə-lē
criminal
2 of 2 noun
: a person who has committed a crime
Legal Definition
criminal
1 of 2 adjective
crim·i·nal
ˈkri-mə-nəl
1
: relating to, involving, or being a crime
criminal neglect
criminal conduct
2
: relating to crime or its prosecution
brought a criminal action
criminal code
compare civil sense 4, penal
criminal
2 of 2 noun1
: one who has committed a crime
2
: a person who has been convicted of a crime
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