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criminal law

American

noun

the laws of a state or country dealing with criminal offenses and their punishments.

criminal law British

noun

the body of law dealing with the constitution of offences and the punishment of offenders

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

criminal laws

plural

Etymology

Origin of criminal law

First recorded in 1580–90

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.

See Examples For:

criminal law

Under US civil and criminal law, unauthorized access to a computer system is an offense.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

The idea of holding individuals responsible for such violations was forged in that process and became the basis of international criminal law.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

In 2024, the Utah Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the criminal law.

From Slate ● May 4, 2026

But, regardless of the outcome of this case, it has also exposed anger about what campaigners say are glaring gaps in criminal law.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

“The true crime section is to the right. The criminal law section is behind it.”

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023