Criminal
adj, noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Definitions
- 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
- 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!"
- 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
Example
More examples"Ben was believed to be a criminal."
Etymology
From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).
Related phrases
More for "criminal"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.