criminal

1 of 2

adjective

crim·​i·​nal ˈkri-mə-nᵊl How to pronounce criminal (audio)
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
criminally adverb

criminal

2 of 2

noun

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
Adjective
New York Mayor Eric Adams talks to the media outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence of New York City, on Thursday after he was indicted on federal criminal charges. Jonathan Dienst, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2024 Suspect Joanna Kelly Lee was charged with burglary and criminal trespass, according to the Madison Police Department. Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 26 Sep. 2024
Noun
Common misconceptions—like the belief that crypto is too complicated, only used by criminals, or isn’t regulated—deter potential investors and innovators. Tonya Evans, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 Nevertheless, Durov also committed to cracking down on criminals on the messaging service, which led him to change Telegram’s privacy policy on Monday. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for criminal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'criminal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French criminal, borrowed from Latin crīminālis, from crīmin-, crīmen "indictment, crime" + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of criminal entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of criminal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near criminal

Cite this Entry

“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminal. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

criminal

1 of 2 adjective
crim·​i·​nal ˈkrim-ən-ᵊl How to pronounce criminal (audio)
ˈkrim-nəl
1
: being or guilty of a crime
a criminal act
2
: relating to crime or its punishment
criminal court
criminality
ˌkrim-ə-ˈnal-ət-ē
noun
criminally
ˈkrim-ən-ᵊl-ē
-nə-lē
adverb

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 How to pronounce criminal (audio)
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 noun
1
: one who has committed a crime
2
: a person who has been convicted of a crime

More from Merriam-Webster on criminal

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