criminal

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪmənəl/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)

Adjective[edit]

criminal (comparative more criminal, superlative most criminal)

  1. Against the law; forbidden by law.
    • (Can we date this quote by Addison and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)
      Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves.
  2. Guilty of breaking the law.
    • (Can we date this quote by Rogers and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)
      The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God.
  3. Of or relating to crime or penal law.
    • (Can we date this quote by Hallam and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)
      The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject […] were in some cases liable to criminal process.
    His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.
  4. (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."

Usage notes[edit]

  • Nouns to which "criminal" is often applied: law, justice, court, procedure, prosecution, intent, case, record, act, action, behavior, code, offence, liability, investigation, conduct, defense, trial, history, responsibility, lawyer, tribunal, appeal, process, background, mind, conspiracy, evidence, gang, organization, underworld, jurisprudence, offender, jury, police, past, group, punishment, attorney, violence, report, career, psychology.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

► English terms derived from the PIE root *krey-‎ (0 c, 82 e)

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun[edit]

criminal (plural criminals)

  1. A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess‎[1]:
      ‘[…] 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

Synonyms[edit]

Hypernyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin criminālis.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

criminal (masculine and feminine plural criminals)

  1. criminal (against the law)
  2. criminal (guilty of breaking the law)
  3. criminal (of or relating to crime)

Derived terms[edit]

Noun[edit]

criminal m or f (plural criminals)

  1. criminal (a person who is guilty of a crime)

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Old French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis, from Latin crīmen.

Adjective[edit]

criminal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular criminale)

  1. criminal; illegal; against the law

Declension[edit]

Declension of criminal
Number Case Masculine Feminine Neuter
Singular Subject criminals or criminaus criminale criminal
Oblique criminal criminale criminal
Plural Subject criminal criminales criminal
Oblique criminals or criminaus criminales criminal

Portuguese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

criminal m or f (plural criminais, not comparable)

  1. (law) criminal (of or relating to crime or penal law)
    Antecedente criminal.
    Criminal record.

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • “criminal” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French criminel, Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

criminal m (plural criminali, feminine equivalent criminală)

  1. criminal, felon, perpetrator, offender, lawbreaker
  2. murderer, slayer
  3. cutthroat, thug

Declension[edit]

Declension of criminal
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[edit]

criminal m or n (feminine singular criminală, masculine plural criminali, feminine and neuter plural criminale)

  1. criminal, felonious, lawbreaking
  2. murderous, homicidal
  3. cutthroat

Declension[edit]

Declension of criminal
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

Adverb[edit]

criminal

  1. criminally

Related terms[edit]

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

criminal (plural criminales)

  1. criminal

Derived terms[edit]

Noun[edit]

criminal m or f (plural criminales)

  1. criminal

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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