noun
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the state or quality of being criminal
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rare (often plural) a criminal act or practice
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of criminality
From the Medieval Latin word crīminālitās, dating back to 1605–15. See criminal, -ity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
High Street criminality sheds light on how bricks-and-mortar stores have been hammered by the boom in online shopping, with footfall 15-20% lower after the Covid lockdowns, according to a study from 2024.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
The BBC asked the Nigerian government to respond to Shell's claim that the authorities were unable to deal with the organised criminality, but has not received an answer.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
In 2018, the Senate said mobster criminality and political inaction had caused an ecological disaster in the region.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
My first thought was about the state tax savings External link, which is probably as good a sign as any that my days of carefree videogame criminality remain behind me.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
While race and sexual orientation are perfectly appropriate aspects of one’s identity to embrace, criminality for its own sake most certainly is not.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
