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
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025
Prosecutors and a judge pushed back on a top Trump official’s demands for a criminal inquiry of Columbia protesters.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Soumya Karlamangla, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Fare evasion doesn’t make someone a criminal, but someone who is comfortable breaking larger rules doesn’t sweat the smaller ones.
—David Garten, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Adjective
The arrest occurred shortly after the man crossed the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Tuesday, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025
Prosecutors and a judge pushed back on a top Trump official’s demands for a criminal inquiry of Columbia protesters.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Noun
The Oroville resolution says that the city will commit to working with federal, state and local agencies to apprehend and prosecute criminals.
—Soumya Karlamangla, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Fare evasion doesn’t make someone a criminal, but someone who is comfortable breaking larger rules doesn’t sweat the smaller ones.
—David Garten, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
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Of note: Your Content must not be false, defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any other third-party rights or otherwise be unlawful.—
Catherine Pearson,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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That month, Drummond sued the board directly in the Oklahoma Supreme Court and asked it to rescind the charter contract and declare St. Isidore's establishment as a charter school unlawful.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Zhao, who in 2023 stepped down from his role at Binance as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. over the illicit finance charges, remains a major shareholder of Binance.—
Trump's stablecoin chosen for $2 billion Abu Dhabi investment in Binance, co-founder says Thursday,,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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The overwhelming majority of illicit vapes are made in China—including mine, which, according to its packaging, was manufactured in Hong Kong.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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She has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault), first-degree vulnerable adult abuse and assault or assault and battery.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Jones-Ogletree, who also goes by Darnell Ogletree, is charged with murder, felonious assault and abduction.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Minor data discrepancies can lead to major consequences: job loss, denial of benefits and wrongful targeting in law enforcement operations.—
Nicole M. Bennett,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2025
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While the tariff agenda was dominating the news cycle both domestically and internationally, a large and growing story in recent weeks has been the administration’s wrongful deportation of Abrego Garcia.—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
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