criminal law
Americannoun
-
criminal laws
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
“At no point during our evaluation did we find reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of federal criminal law had occurred,” the report said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The legal test for misconduct in officers' use-of-force cases has been raised to the same used in criminal law, meaning conduct that would not amount to a crime should not amount to misconduct either.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Yet the Nuremberg Tribunal is now generally seen as a remarkably fair execution of justice given the unprecedented circumstances, and a foundation for international criminal law.
From Salon ● May 18, 2026
In criminal law, "the burden of proof is higher," noted Brandon Garrett, a law professor at Duke University -- with prosecutors required to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
From Barron's ● May 11, 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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
