What does "criminal" mean?
A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
Criminal
/ˈkɹɪm.ə.nəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
- Grammar: criminal is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: felon, outlaw, abductors, aberrant.
- Useful contrasts: civil case, civil life, civil ordering.
- Usage evidence: Ben was believed to be a criminal.
How to use "criminal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "criminal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "criminal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "criminal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "criminal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "criminal" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "felon" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "criminal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
"‘[…] There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’"
- 2 someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Against the law; forbidden by law.
"Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves."
- 2 Guilty of breaking the law.
"The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God."
- 3 Of or relating to crime or penal law.
"His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man."
- 4 Abhorrent or very undesirable. figuratively
"Printing such asinine opinions is criminal!"
Adjective
- 1 guilty of crime or serious offense wordnet
- 2 involving or being or having the nature of a crime wordnet
- 3 bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure wordnet
Antonyms
civil casecivil lifecivil orderingcivil orders
Example
"Ben was believed to be a criminal."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "criminal"?
Common synonyms include: felon, outlaw, abductors, aberrant, abnormal, abominable.
How do you use "criminal" in a sentence?
Ben was believed to be a criminal.
How do you pronounce "criminal"?
Pronounced /ˈkɹɪm.ə.nəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).