Synonyms of criminal

criminal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkri-mə-nᵊl 

as in illegal

contrary to or forbidden by law

people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illegal
• unlawful
• illicit
• felonious
• wrongful
• unauthorized
• illegitimate
• forbidden
• lawless
• immoral
• criminalized
• prohibited
• evil
• sinful
• shameful
• wrong
• unethical
• wicked
• reprehensible
• bad
• corrupt
• blameworthy
• contraband
• unlicensed
• barred
• proscribed
• unscrupulous
• villainous
• unsanctioned
• outlawed
• unprincipled
• censurable
• discouraged
• under-the-table
• disallowed
• blamable
• interdicted
• adulterine
• banned
• bootleg
• under-the-counter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• legal
• legitimate
• lawful
• ethical
• right
• good
• righteous
• virtuous
• permitted
• just
• principled
• authorized
• licensed
• proper
• approved
• endorsed
• correct
• allowed
• promoted
• decent
• supported
• sanctioned
• suggested
• decorous
• abetted
• encouraged
• seemly

criminal

2 of 2

noun

as in offender

a person who has committed a crime

car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• offender
• lawbreaker
• culprit
• defendant
• crook
• miscreant
• malefactor
• perpetrator
• accomplice
• misdemeanant
• thug
• outlaw
• gangster
• villain
• principal
• suspect
• convict
• desperado
• jailbird
• perp
• mobster
• trespasser
• racketeer
• hoodlum
• wrongdoer
• gun
• sinner
• hooligan
• recidivist
• transgressor
• fish
• arrestee
• triggerman
• evildoer
• detainee
• gunsel
• backslider
• enforcer
• misdoer
• misfeasor
• gunman
• blackhander
• gallows bird
• accused
• button man
• hit man
• repeater
• relapser

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lawman
• gangbuster

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of criminal

Adjective

The two men say they were injured on October 21, when the first victim was walking on West 47th Street near Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in traditional Hasidic Jewish clothing, according to the criminal complaint. — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

In October, 2022, Ammann’s sisters filed a criminal complaint accusing Georg Frei of failing to get her to a hospital promptly. — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Noun

That's all data that hackers, scammers, and criminals of all kinds can use to create convincing phishing emails or text messages to trick you into giving them your money, additional personal data, or both. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026

The Day unfolds across a single day, as police stumble across a bank robbery mid-heist, and the criminals barricade themselves inside. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026