noncriminal

adjective

non·​crim·​i·​nal ˌnän-ˈkri-mə-nᵊl 

-ˈkrim-nəl

: not criminal : not relating to, involving, or being a crime

a noncriminal civil offense

: not guilty of or prone to criminal activity

… has studied the prefrontal cortex of both violent criminals who were murderers, and noncriminal people, by way of MRI scans.

—Colleen Reynolds

Examples of noncriminal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

BOAs receive training to help resolve noncriminal issues and to de-escalate conflict by remaining calm, inquiring about a person’s well-being, and trying to reduce a person’s anxiety—even while asking for identification, issuing fines, and making arrests. —Laurence Ralph, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2020

The new proposal would keep the same noncriminal traffic ticket, which can vary from $60 to $158 because of fees and surcharges, according to a bill analysis. —Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024

Epps said funds for the LAPD should be redistributed to support more social workers and other professionals who can respond to nonviolent and noncriminal calls. —Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024

The tally does not include people killed in homicides deemed to be noncriminal, such as justified police shootings or cases of self-defense. —Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

noncriminal

adjective

non·​crim·​i·​nal

ˌnän-ˈkri-mən-ᵊl

: not criminal

noncriminal conduct