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

… it is more difficult to understand why seemingly noncriminal people commit crimes in certain circumstances …

—Rachel Boba Santos

Examples of noncriminal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Since President Trump took office, the number of noncriminal detainees arrested by ICE has increased by over 2000 percent. —CBS News, 23 Nov. 2025

Record numbers of immigrants without legal status have sought voluntary departures this year, amid a surge in arrests and efforts by the Trump administration to keep even noncriminal, longtime U.S. residents detained. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 20 Nov. 2025

Wyatt was issued a noncriminal traffic citation earlier this year and fired in April for the crash. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025

The administration has faced pushback from portions of Americans who have questioned the tactics and end goals of such policies, including detaining and in some instances deporting nonviolent and noncriminal immigrants. —Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for noncriminal

• subliminal
• criminal
• liminal

Legal Definition

noncriminal

adjective

non·​crim·​i·​nal

ˌnän-ˈkri-mən-ᵊl

: not criminal

noncriminal conduct