as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of criminal
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
Moscow also attracts attention from another character based on a real-life person, Mary Carr (Doherty), the infamous Queen of the Forty Elephants who sets about exploiting his talents to further her criminal enterprise.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for criminal 
Adjective
The judge reminded federal officials that continuing to ignore his order could be cause for criminal contempt.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
Moscow also attracts attention from another character based on a real-life person, Mary Carr (Doherty), the infamous Queen of the Forty Elephants who sets about exploiting his talents to further her criminal enterprise.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
Meanwhile, beyond the damage caused by the SAFE-T Act’s elimination of bail — which will increase the number of serious and habitual criminals being released — there is likely to be a dramatic rise in lawsuits stemming from the act’s many new mandates on police.
—Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for criminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminal
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
-
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Adjective
-
Trump, Musk so far provide scant evidence for their claims of government fraud Trump's post on Saturday sparked backlash from Democrats, who accused him of using the office of the presidency to justify unlawful or ethically dubious actions.—
Julia Reinstein,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Their egregious and seemingly unlawful acts compromise our national security and put Americans at risk.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
At first, the illicit supply would also ship directly from China to the US, but it’s evolved into disparate streams.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Footage showed authorities removing the illicit items from his pockets following the apprehension.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
Fox News,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Walter went to trial again on Oct. 11, 2011, facing the same judge and the same charges of felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
10 Jan. 2025
-
He was indicted in July and previously faced two counts of felonious assault and four counts of endangering children.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Her lawsuit includes accusations of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Key provisions include: Mandating law enforcement uphold custody rights and prevent wrongful denial, reducing emotional distress for children.—
Chris Felder,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near criminal
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share