criminal

[krim-uh-nl] /ˈkrɪm ə nl/
adjective
1.
of the nature of or involving crime.
2.
guilty of crime.
3.
Law. of or pertaining 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
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.
Examples from the web for criminal
  • Reintroducing criminal animal cruelty laws would change how corporations make decisions in farm and factory practices.
  • Juries can decide the facts in criminal and civil cases.
  • On top of that, capital punishment is extremely costly to administer and has never been shown to deter criminal behavior.
  • Antisocial or criminal behavior may stem from damage to the part of the brain that governs moral reasoning.
  • It is central to fundamental fairness in criminal cases.
  • These vehicles can be used on both patrol and on a criminal pursuit.
  • Not everyone who does things criminal is going to be diagnosed as a psychopath.
  • Audio forensic examiners are asked to authenticate recordings presented as evidence in criminal and civil court cases.
  • There were no criminal referrals from the regulators.
  • The basis of her firing has to be other than alleged criminal activity.
British Dictionary definitions for 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
Word Origin and History for 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.).