Home Synonyms criminal

Synonyms of criminal in English:

criminal


See US English definition of criminal

See UK English definition of criminal

See Spanish definition of delincuente

noun

1‘she struck up a friendship with a convicted criminal’

SYNONYMS
lawbreaker, offender, villain, delinquent, malefactor, culprit, wrongdoer, transgressor, sinner
young offender, juvenile delinquent
felon, thief, robber, armed robber, burglar, housebreaker, shoplifter, mugger, rapist, fraudster, swindler, racketeer, gunman, gangster, outlaw, bandit, terrorist, bioterrorist, narco-terrorist, ecoterrorist, cyberterrorist, agroterrorist
yakuza
South East Asian holdupper
informal crook, con, jailbird, lag, old lag, lifer, baddie
British informal crim
North American informal yardbird, yegg
South African informal lighty
West Indian informal tief
British rhyming slang tea leaf
informal, dated cracksman
malfeasant, misfeasor, infractor
archaic miscreant, trespasser, trusty, transport
rare peculator, defalcator

adjective

1‘they were found guilty of criminal conduct’

SYNONYMS
unlawful, illegal, against the law, illicit, illegitimate, lawbreaking, lawless, felonious, delinquent, culpable, villainous, nefarious, corrupt, fraudulent
indictable, punishable, actionable, unauthorized, unsanctioned, outlawed, banned, forbidden, interdicted, proscribed
wrong, bad, evil, wicked, iniquitous
informal crooked, shady, dirty
British informal bent, dodgy
malfeasant
ANTONYMS

lawful

2‘closing the railway would be criminal folly’

SYNONYMS
deplorable, preposterous, shameful, reprehensible, disgraceful, inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable, unacceptable
senseless, foolish, ridiculous, outrageous, monstrous, shocking, scandalous
wicked, sinful, immoral, iniquitous
rare egregious
ANTONYMS

commendable