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
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Murrill’s office also invoked the habitual offenders statute, where criminal defendants can be tagged as habitual offenders after a fourth felony charge, according to Louisiana law, and face longer prison sentences.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Youngest brother Dante is reckless and indebted to dangerous criminals.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Adjective
The Kremlin maintains that mercenaries are subject to criminal prosecution and not entitled to prisoner-of-war protections under international law.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Murrill’s office also invoked the habitual offenders statute, where criminal defendants can be tagged as habitual offenders after a fourth felony charge, according to Louisiana law, and face longer prison sentences.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
Noun
Then in 1967 he was waylaid in his car by criminals who shot him and killed his wife, Pauline.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Youngest brother Dante is reckless and indebted to dangerous criminals.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 May 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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The court concluded that the administration’s unilateral actions without approval by Congress were unlawful.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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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.—
Will Matsuda,
New York Times,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Instead of calling for an expansive probe, however, the president identified just one potential target: ActBlue, the Democrats’ online fundraising juggernaut, which has acknowledged receiving over 200 potentially illicit contributions last year from foreign internet addresses.—
Brian Slodysko,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
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Wetherell wrote that Trump's justification for the tariffs -- both stemming the flow of illicit drugs into the country and resolving a trade imbalance -- is sufficient to satisfy the terms set by Congress.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
23 May 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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But Diaz, the Hialeah grandmother, pointed to a recent State Department travel advisory that warned Americans to not travel there because of the high risk of wrongful detention, torture, terrorism and kidnapping, as well as crime, civil unrest, and the country’s poor health infrastructure.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
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She was later awarded $13,000 in compensation for wrongful arrests, according to Christian Today.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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