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
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.
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
They added: "There is no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or criminality, but specialist detectives are working hard to gather the full facts and circumstances of their deaths."
From BBC • May 20, 2026
“I want as many people as possible talking about the dangers and criminality of Scientology,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
Others claim that a loved one’s criminality is a private, family matter: “Somebody’s business is nobody’s business.”
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.
