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criminal

[krim-uh-nl] /ˈkrɪm ə nl/
adjective
1.
of the nature of or involving crime.
2.
guilty of crime.
3.
Law. of or relating to crime or its punishment:
a criminal proceeding.
4.
senseless; foolish:
It's criminal to waste so much good food.
5.
exorbitant; grossly overpriced:
They charge absolutely criminal prices.
noun
6.
a person guilty or convicted of a crime.
Origin of criminal
Middle English
Anglo-French
Late Latin
1350-1400
1350-1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Late Latin crīminālis, equivalent to Latin crīmin- (stem of crīmen; see crime) + -ālis -al1
Related forms
criminally, adverb
noncriminal, adjective, noun
noncriminally, adverb
quasi-criminal, adjective
quasi-criminally, adverb
subcriminal, adjective
subcriminally, adverb
supercriminal, adjective, noun
supercriminally, adverb
uncriminal, adjective
uncriminally, adverb
Synonyms
1. felonious, unlawful. See illegal. 6. malefactor, evildoer, transgressor, culprit, felon, crook, hoodlum, gangster.
Antonyms
1. lawful. 2. innocent.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
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Examples from the Web for quasi-criminal
Historical Examples

  • The members of the Council who had conducted the previous examinations were directed to sit as a quasi-criminal Court.

    Sir Walter Ralegh William Stebbing

  • The Sigurimi was the shadowy, quasi-criminal state security apparatus.

    After the Rain Sam Vaknin

  • And was not the same imperfect social system partly responsible for the quasi-criminal attitude which had been forced upon him?

    The Price Francis Lynde
British Dictionary definitions for quasi-criminal

criminal

/ˈkrɪmɪnəl/
noun
1.
a person charged with and convicted of crime
2.
a person who commits crimes for a living
adjective
3.
of, involving, or guilty of crime
4.
(prenominal) of or relating to crime or its punishment: criminal court, criminal lawyer
5.
(informal) senseless or deplorable: a criminal waste of money
Derived Forms
criminally, adverb
Word Origin
C15: from Late Latin crīminālis; see crime, -al1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for quasi-criminal

criminal

adj.

early 15c., from Middle French criminel (11c.), from Latin criminalis "pertaining to crime," from crimen (genitive criminis); see crime. Preserves the Latin -n-. Criminal law (or criminal justice) distinguished from civil in English at least since late 15c.

n.

1620s, from criminal (adj.).

criminal

n.

1620s, from criminal (adj.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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14
15
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