criminal law

noun

: the law of crimes and their punishments

Examples of criminal law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After 40 years in criminal law practice, retirement felt like intellectual atrophy. —Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025

Pushing for criminal law The Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act grew out of an advocacy campaign that in 2023 called for holding influential Haitians accountable for allegedly arming and profiting from criminal gangs. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025

There are several unique features to military law that have no analog to civilian criminal law, and if Kelly were court-martialed he would be deprived of several fundamental constitutional rights. —Joshua Kastenberg, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025

Feinberg also taught media law, criminal law, and legal writing as an adjunct professor at Fordham University Law School for more than 20 years. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for criminal law

• avoirdupois
• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada

Legal Definition

criminal law

noun

: public law that deals with crimes and their prosecution compare civil law

Note: Substantive criminal law defines crimes, and procedural criminal law sets down criminal procedure. Substantive criminal law was originally common law for the most part. It was later codified and is now found in federal and state statutory law.