as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of criminal
Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Walter had just turned 18, and both he and Kwakenat were relieved the student's parents had not pressed criminal charges.
—Laurie Stern, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
The technology also enables criminals to scale operations more efficiently, automating outreach across social media, messaging apps, and email while tailoring scams to individual victims.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Adjective
Michael was indicted on 10 criminal counts including child molestation, abduction, false imprisonment and extortion, per NPR, but was acquitted of all charges in June 2005, according to The New York Times.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Walter had just turned 18, and both he and Kwakenat were relieved the student's parents had not pressed criminal charges.
—Laurie Stern, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
From 1968 to 2013, fewer than 150 people lost their citizenship, mostly war criminals who had hidden their past.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
The technology also enables criminals to scale operations more efficiently, automating outreach across social media, messaging apps, and email while tailoring scams to individual victims.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminal
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Noun
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Court records show Abugharbieh entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors.—
Holly Ramer,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Per the alert, surveillance footage showed that in each of the incidents, one offender gained access by breaking into several vehicle windows and then proceeding to remove valuable items inside the cars.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, was charged Thursday with the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.—
Gary D. Robertson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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He has been charged in New York federal court with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The proposal would specifically define terms like event contracts while also requiring exchanges to implement safeguards against advertising, illicit finance, and fund segregation.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Her government has handed over scores of cartel suspects to the United States, arrested hundreds of other cartel operatives and busted numerous illicit drug laboratories, among other steps.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Choi said nine law enforcement agencies in Ramsey County are investigating other potentially felonious conduct by federal agents.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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He was originally charged with one count of murder and two counts each of felonious assault and tampering with evidence, according to court records.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Mavromatis, in a complaint filed on Wednesday in North Carolina federal court, alleges violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful discharge and intentional infliction of emotional distress.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
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Although the state of emergency has slashed El Salvador’s homicide rate, authorities have arrested over 91,000 people, with human rights groups documenting thousands of wrongful detentions.—
Marcos Aleman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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