as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of criminal
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
In each case, council members had to decide whether to use their power, spelled out in the City Charter, to suspend colleagues accused of wrongdoing — stripping away their duties until their criminal cases were resolved.
—
Los Angeles City Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Experts and authorities warn that criminals will be deploying a range of tactics targeting soccer fans desperate to attend big-name matches at the event, which kicked off June 11.
—
ABC News,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Adjective
According to authorities, Ortiz-Garcia’s criminal history includes state convictions for drug distribution and weapon possession offenses, which disqualify him from having a firearm or ammunition.
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Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
In each case, council members had to decide whether to use their power, spelled out in the City Charter, to suspend colleagues accused of wrongdoing — stripping away their duties until their criminal cases were resolved.
—
Los Angeles City Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Noun
Unserialized and homemade firearms, opponents say, could easily allow criminals to bypass red-flag gun laws, which aim to prevent domestic abusers and other violent individuals from obtaining firearms.
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Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Experts and authorities warn that criminals will be deploying a range of tactics targeting soccer fans desperate to attend big-name matches at the event, which kicked off June 11.
—
ABC News,
17 June 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.
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.
Noun
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The offender is described as an African-American man between 40-45 years of age, weighing 180-200 pounds, and was last seen wearing a gray/black baseball cap, a light blue shirt, gray pants, and black gym shoes.
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To better understand what drives a young person to commit these crimes, CNN spent months searching for prior offenders willing to speak about their experience.
Adjective
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Nadi Jabari, 46, was charged with false personation, unlawful use of a blue light and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
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The indictment, handed up by a federal grand jury in Maryland, charged Bolton with eight counts of unlawful transmission of national defense information as well as 10 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information.
Adjective
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So far this year, 17 tons of illicit drugs, mostly cocaine, have been seized in the Pacific region – more than three times the total across the whole of last year, according to the Australian Federal Police.
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Australian Federal Police via AP Six others allegedly involved in the importation of the cocaine had previously been arrested and charged with offenses related to illicit drugs possession, police said.
Adjective
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In the aftermath, police said, Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, was taken into custody on June 11 and charged with 11 counts of felonious assault.
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The other suspect, Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, was taken into custody on June 11, and also charged with 11 counts of felonious assault.
Adjective
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Starring Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson, the wrongful conviction drama was originally set to run though July 12 at the James Earl Jones Theatre, but dwindling box office and a Tony Awards shut out prompted producers to quietly cancel the final two weeks of performances.
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Just three months into his tenure, North Miami Beach City Manager Darvin Williams is facing multiple legal challenges from current and former employees, including lawsuits and federal complaints alleging workplace misconduct, retaliation and wrongful employment actions.
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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