Meaning of criminal in English:

criminal

Pronunciation /ˈkrɪmɪn(ə)l/

See synonyms for criminal

Translate criminal into Spanish

noun

A person who has committed a crime.
‘these men are dangerous criminals’
- ‘One of the uses of capital punishment is to deter other criminals from committing more crimes.’
- ‘Most heroin users were criminals who committed crimes before they ever used drugs.’
- ‘A threat as harsh as death to all that commit a serious crime would deter some criminals.’
- ‘This is the most horrible crime in humanity that's been committed by those criminals.’
- ‘I would also say that criminals who commit the most severe crimes lose their right to live.’
- ‘Crime is flexible and criminals would soon find a way of dealing with greater surveillance.’
- ‘They all folded up on themselves and became a puzzle of incongruous crimes and criminals.’
- ‘They are tough on crime and criminals but what they can't contemplate are the causes.’
- ‘They are anxious not to upset anybody these days, even thugs and criminals.’
- ‘They were just thugs and criminals who have now seen that justice can and will be done.’
- ‘Of course they can be dangerous if used by criminals or the criminally irresponsible.’
- ‘Nor is it a police action against a random assortment of criminals or criminal gangs.’
- ‘Why do we single out sex offenders as necessarily different from other criminals?’
- ‘There are few offenders more despicable than criminals who prey on the elderly and infirm.’
- ‘As I said before these people are criminals and murderers and should be treated as such.’
- ‘The old idea of criminals and drug dealers is not the way that these people do business anymore.’
- ‘She said that if the worst crime hot spots were being tackled the criminals moved further afield.’
- ‘We join forces with others to reduce crime, the number of criminals and victims.’
- ‘The idea was to deter criminals with the ever-present threat of death for their crimes.’
- ‘People are fed up that when the police do catch criminals the punishment never seems to fit the crime.’
lawbreaker, offender, villain, delinquent, malefactor, culprit, wrongdoer, transgressor, sinner
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adjective

1Relating to crime.
‘they are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage’
- ‘a criminal offence’
- ‘The crimes include shoplifting, assault, public order offences, theft and criminal damage.’
- ‘After the verdict, he revealed that Bailey had a long record for theft, criminal damage and car crime.’
- ‘He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the spamming and criminal conspiracy offences.’
- ‘When he broke into Ray's house, Martin could be committing the crimes of burglary and criminal damage.’
- ‘If that is the case then it is a criminal offence and a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.’
- ‘She was subject to a community rehabilitation order imposed just six weeks earlier for criminal damage offences.’
- ‘She had previously pleaded guilty to several offences, including shoplifting and criminal damage to a taxi.’
- ‘A police spokesman said the dozen were being held in relation to suspected offences of assault and criminal damage.’
- ‘The barrister also says that his actions could amount to conspiracy to commit criminal damage.’
- ‘Claire had been arrested and bailed earlier on the day of her death for a previous criminal damage offence on a bus stop in Bolton.’
- ‘The community does not report offences of criminal damage to police as they apparently show little interest.’
- ‘They have admitted conspiracy to commit criminal damage to motor vehicles.’
- ‘This has been attributed to a rise in criminal damages offences which made up a quarter of all recorded crime.’
- ‘Sentences handed out would be geared to local crime priorities such as graffiti, criminal damage and car crime.’
- ‘Burglary, theft, criminal damage and robbery showed a seven per cent reduction.’
- ‘Making homosexuality illegal or a criminal offence does not make it disappear.’
- ‘Previously we have addressed burglary, criminal damage and speeding vehicles.’
- ‘Since the New Year police have received several reports of burglaries and criminal damage.’
- ‘Reports of criminal damage and persistent vandalism were also relayed to councillors.’
- ‘He called on the public to report any instances of criminal damage or vandalism.’
unlawful, illegal, against the law, illicit, illegitimate, lawbreaking, lawless, felonious, delinquent, culpable, villainous, nefarious, corrupt, fraudulent
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1. 1.1Law Relating to crime as opposed to civil matters.
  ‘a criminal court’
  ‘Should the rules for disclosure be different for civil and criminal matters?’
  ‘The principles applied by the civil / criminal court are sound and based on experience and aim at doing justice.’
  ‘It is important to note, however, that the right covers civil as well as criminal litigation.’
  ‘It authorizes the court to issue an order, backed by civil and criminal sanctions, for a monthly allowance.’
  ‘The Court specifically set out to deal with criminal matters even though it was an extradition case.’
  ‘Whether it be a criminal trial or a civil matter, it is the way things look.’
  ‘The normal rule is that the Crown does not ask for nor pay the costs unless statute provides for it in criminal matters.’
  ‘He was a great judge in criminal matters and he knew about Parliament.’
  ‘The order is not a sentence, but a civil restriction which criminal courts can now grant when passing sentence.’
  ‘These offices are civil judges, criminal judges and administrative judges.’
  ‘The police say they are still ‘trying to sort out whether it is a criminal or a civil matter’.’
  ‘Is there some statutory provision in this State that governs costs in criminal matters?’
  ‘It is also worth noting that each of these sources of law can provide for both civil and criminal rules.’
  ‘In the criminal court, if matters are not heard within 18 months, they are thrown out.’
  ‘So just what is this court that can produce results at a rate civil and criminal courts could only marvel at?’
  ‘The legal system is based on the French model, with both civil and criminal courts.’
  ‘He said that filing a civil claim during a criminal trial was standard court procedure.’
  ‘Can disciplinary proceedings be taken for the same offence after an acquittal in the criminal courts?’
  ‘The duty may be enforced by either civil or criminal proceedings against the parents.’
  ‘Two cases brought before the criminal appeal court were lost yesterday.’
2 informal (of an action or situation) deplorable and shocking.
- ‘he may never fulfil his potential, and that would be a criminal waste’
deplorable, preposterous, shameful, reprehensible, disgraceful, inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable, unacceptable
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