crim·i·nal
ˈkri-mə-nᵊl 
ˈkrim-nəl
1
: relating to, involving, or being a crime
criminal neglect
a criminal organization
2
: relating to crime or to the prosecution of suspects in a crime
criminal statistics
brought criminal action
the criminal justice system
3
: guilty of crime
also
: of or befitting a criminal
a criminal mind
4
: disgraceful
It's criminal how unfunny this comedy is.—
Rick Bentley
Rick Bentley
criminally
adverb
1
: one who has committed a crime
2
: a person who has been convicted of a crime
Synonyms
Examples of criminal in a Sentence
Adjective
a history of criminal behavior
The captain of the wrecked boat was accused of criminal negligence.
The company brought criminal charges against her.
It's criminal that the government is doing nothing to stop the problem.
Noun
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Recent Examples on the Web
Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Those schools were, according to former pupils, hotbeds of cruelty and child abuse — an independent investigation in 2005 found evidence of criminal assault at the boys’ school in the 1970s and ’80s — as well as highly traditionalist values.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024
The Jordanians will soar like eagles to hunt you down, one criminal after another.
—Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criminal 
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Adjective
Officers conducting a preliminary investigation reviewed messages the student had left on Discord, an online chatting app used by gamers and others, and arrested the student on suspicion of making criminal threats.
—Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Those schools were, according to former pupils, hotbeds of cruelty and child abuse — an independent investigation in 2005 found evidence of criminal assault at the boys’ school in the 1970s and ’80s — as well as highly traditionalist values.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
Its undeniably a humanitarian crisis and a very real security threat because of drug cartels, criminals and terrorists crossing the border.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024
The Jordanians will soar like eagles to hunt you down, one criminal after another.
—Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criminal
Dictionary Entries Near criminal
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminal. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
criminal
1 of 2 adjective
crim·i·nal
ˈkrim-ən-ᵊl
ˈkrim-nəl
1
: being or guilty of a crime
a criminal act
2
: relating to crime or its punishment
criminal court
criminality
noun
ˌkrim-ə-ˈnal-ət-ē
criminally
adverb
ˈkrim-ən-ᵊl-ē
-nə-lē
criminal
2 of 2 noun
: a person who has committed a crime
Legal Definition
criminal
1 of 2 adjective
crim·i·nal
ˈkri-mə-nəl
1
: relating to, involving, or being a crime
criminal neglect
criminal conduct
2
: relating to crime or its prosecution
brought a criminal action
criminal code
compare civil sense 4, penal
criminal
2 of 2 noun1
: one who has committed a crime
2
: a person who has been convicted of a crime
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