criminal

[ krim-uh-nl ]
/ ˈkrɪm ə nl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR criminal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of the nature of or involving crime.
guilty of crime.
Law. of or relating to crime or its punishment: a criminal proceeding.
senseless; foolish: It's criminal to waste so much good food.
exorbitant; grossly overpriced: They charge absolutely criminal prices.

noun

a person guilty or convicted of a crime.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of criminal

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Late Latin crīminālis, equivalent to Latin crīmin- (stem of crīmen; see crime) + -ālis -al1

SYNONYMS FOR criminal

1 felonious, unlawful. See illegal.
6 malefactor, evildoer, transgressor, culprit, felon, crook, hoodlum, gangster.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR criminal ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM criminal

Words nearby criminal

crimean gothic, crimean tatar, crimean war, crimen injuria, crimewave, criminal, criminal assault, criminal code, criminal contempt, criminal conversation, criminal court
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to criminal

scandalous, illegal, unlawful, vicious, illegitimate, deplorable, corrupt, illicit, immoral, senseless, culprit, offender, crook, hooligan, fugitive, gangster, hoodlum, felon, thug, convict

Example sentences from the Web for criminal

British Dictionary definitions for criminal

criminal
/ (ˈkrɪmɪnəl) /

noun

a person charged with and convicted of crime
a person who commits crimes for a living

adjective

of, involving, or guilty of crime
(prenominal) of or relating to crime or its punishmentcriminal court; criminal lawyer
informal senseless or deplorablea criminal waste of money

Derived forms of criminal

criminally, adverb

Word Origin for criminal

C15: from Late Latin crīminālis; see crime, -al 1
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