criminality

noun

crim·​i·​nal·​i·​ty ˌkri-mə-ˈna-lə-tē 

1

: the quality or state of being criminal

2

: criminal activity

urban criminality

Synonyms

• crime

Examples of criminality in a Sentence

a report on the drop in criminality in large urban centers

Recent Examples on the Web

The first is to expose Hamas’s criminality and the futility of its terror, which has led to the annihilation of Gaza. —Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2025

His manipulating voters with their own tax dollars borders on criminality. —John Moorlach, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025

The choice is to wait until individuals cross legal lines, or reach them earlier, before curiosity turns into criminality. —Chris Wysopal, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

In North Carolina, as in other Southern states, newspapers in the Jim Crow era often egregiously exaggerated stories about Black criminality. —Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

criminal entry 1 + -ity, perhaps after French criminalité

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for criminality

• abnormality
• cardinality
• commonality
• communality
• cordiality
• corporeality
• criticality
• functionality
• generality
• geniality
• hospitality
• illegality

Legal Definition

criminality

noun

crim·​i·​nal·​i·​ty ˌkri-mə-ˈna-lə-tē 

1

: the quality or state of being criminal

can't understand the criminality of his act

2

: crime sense 3

violent criminality