criminal
English
Etymology
From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪmənəl/
Audio (US) (file)
Adjective
criminal (comparative more criminal, superlative most criminal)
- Against the law; forbidden by law.
- 1711 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison; Richard Steele [et al.], “MONDAY, March 19, 1710–1711”, in The Spectator, number 16; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, OCLC 191120697:
- Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves.
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- Guilty of breaking the law.
- a. 1729, John Rogers, The Difficulties of Obtaining Salvation
- The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God.
- a. 1729, John Rogers, The Difficulties of Obtaining Salvation
- Of or relating to crime or penal law.
- 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], OCLC 156165476:
- The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject […] in some cases, were liable to criminal process.
- His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.
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- (figuratively) Abhorrent or very undesirable.
- Printing such asinine opinions is criminal!
- 2020 May 6, Graeme Pickering, “Borders Railway: time for the next step”, in Rail, page 54:
- [...] I think it represents exceptional value for money and I think it would be criminal not to go ahead and build it."
Synonyms
- crimeful
- illegal
- delictuous
Derived terms
- age of criminal responsibility
- criminal code
- criminal conversation
- criminalisation
- criminalist
- criminalistics
- criminality
- criminalize
- criminal law
- criminal lawyer
- criminally
- criminal negligence
- criminalness
- criminal offence
- criminal offense
- criminal procedure
- criminal prosecution
- criminal prosecutor
- criminal psychologist
- criminal psychology
- criminal record
- criminal science
- criminal scientist
- criminal tool
Related terms
Collocations
- criminal law
- criminal justice
- criminal court
- criminal procedure
- criminal prosecution
- criminal intent
- criminal case
- criminal act
- criminal action
- criminal behavior
- criminal offenceliability
- criminal investigation
- criminal conduct
- criminal defense
- criminal trial
- criminal history
- criminal responsibility
- criminal lawyer
- criminal tribunal
- criminal appeal
- criminal process
- criminal background
- criminal mind
- criminal conspiracy
- criminal evidence
- criminal gang
- criminal organization
- criminal underworld
- criminal jurisprudence
- criminal offender
- criminal jury
- criminal police
- criminal past
- criminal group
- criminal punishment
- criminal attorney
- criminal violence
- criminal report
- criminal career
- criminal psychology
Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
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Noun
criminal (plural criminals)
- A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess:
- ‘[…] 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—’
- Synonyms: lawbreaker, offender, perpetrator
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Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:criminal
Hypernyms
- person
Derived terms
- arch-criminal
- criminal-like
- cybercriminal
- e-criminal
- career criminal
- November criminal
- thought criminal
- war criminal
Translations
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Catalan
Etymology
From Latin criminālis.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA(key): /kɾi.miˈnal/
Adjective
criminal (masculine and feminine plural criminals)
- criminal (against the law)
- criminal (guilty of breaking the law)
- criminal (of or relating to crime)
Derived terms
- criminalista
- criminalitat
- criminalitzar
- criminalment
Noun
criminal m or f (plural criminals)
- criminal (a person who is guilty of a crime)
Related terms
- crim
Further reading
- “criminal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “criminal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “criminal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “criminal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Old French
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis, from Latin crīmen.
Adjective
criminal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular criminale)
- criminal; illegal; against the law
Declension
Number | Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Subject | criminals or criminaus | criminale | criminal |
Oblique | criminal | |||
Plural | Subject | criminal | criminales | |
Oblique | criminals or criminaus |
Portuguese
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /kɾi.miˈnaw/ [kɾi.miˈnaʊ̯]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /kɾi.miˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnaɫ]
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
- Hyphenation: cri‧mi‧nal
Adjective
criminal m or f (plural criminais, not comparable)
- (law) criminal (of or relating to crime or penal law)
- Antecedente criminal.
- Criminal record.
Derived terms
- criminalidade
- criminalismo
- criminalista
- criminalizar
- criminalmente
Related terms
- crime
- criminação
- criminado
- criminador
- criminalística
- criminalístico
- criminalizável
- criminar
- criminologia
- criminológico
- criminologista
- criminólogo
- criminoso
Further reading
- “criminal” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French criminel, Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [kri.miˈnal]
Noun
criminal m (plural criminali, feminine equivalent criminală)
- criminal, felon, perpetrator, offender, lawbreaker
- murderer, slayer
- cutthroat, thug
Declension
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) criminal | criminalul | (niște) criminali | criminalii |
genitive/dative | (unui) criminal | criminalului | (unor) criminali | criminalilor |
vocative | criminalule | criminalilor |
Adjective
criminal m or n (feminine singular criminală, masculine plural criminali, feminine and neuter plural criminale)
- criminal, felonious, lawbreaking
- murderous, homicidal
- cutthroat
Declension
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative | indefinite | criminal | criminală | criminali | criminale | ||
definite | criminalul | criminala | criminalii | criminalele | |||
genitive/ dative | indefinite | criminal | criminale | criminali | criminale | ||
definite | criminalului | criminalei | criminalilor | criminalelor |
Related terms
- criminalitate
Adverb
criminal
- criminally
Related terms
- crimă
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kɾimiˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnal]
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: cri‧mi‧nal
Adjective
criminal (plural criminales)
- criminal
Derived terms
- criminalmente
- criminalista
- criminalizar
Noun
criminal m or f (plural criminales)
- criminal
Derived terms
- criminal de guerra
Related terms
- crimen
- criminalidad
- acriminar
Further reading
- “criminal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014