criminal law

noun

: the law of crimes and their punishments

Examples of criminal law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For attorneys burned out on family law or struggling in criminal law, Elder Law offers not just financial security, but also profound professional satisfaction. —Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025

Berman is widely known for founding and managing the influential Sentencing Law and Policy blog, a go-to resource for courts, practitioners, and policymakers on developments in criminal law. —Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

That organization could have been a mental health team, said UNC School of Government pretrial release expert and assistant professor of criminal law Brittany Bromell. —Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025

Because the act is written as a criminal prohibition, and only the federal government can prosecute violations of federal criminal law, the statute poses a few legal hurdles for Breyer: Can California sue under a statute that only the U.S. government can enforce? —Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 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.