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Definitions

criminal

[krim-uh-nl] / ˈkrɪm ə nl /
ADJECTIVE
lawless, felonious
Synonyms
STRONGEST
corrupt deplorable illegal illegitimate illicit scandalous senseless unlawful vicious
STRONG
bent heavy racket wildcat wrong
WEAK
caught crooked culpable dirty hung up indictable iniquitous nefarious off base out of line peccant shady smoking gun unrighteous villainous wicked
Antonyms
STRONGEST
authorized blessed ethical good kind lawful legal legitimate moral noble proper pure right uncorrupt
WEAK
correct righteous
NOUN
person who breaks the law
Synonyms
STRONGEST
convict crook culprit felon fugitive gangster hoodlum hooligan lawbreaker mobster offender thug
STRONG
bad guy bad person baddie baddy blackmailer con delinquent desperado deuce evildoer guerrilla heavy hood hustler jailbird malefactor mug muscle outlaw racketeer repeater scofflaw sinner transgressor trespasser wrongdoer yardbird
WEAK
bad actor black marketeer ex-con inside person slippery eel
Antonyms
STRONGEST
police
WEAK
law

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A swarm of police officers apprehended the witness at his mother’s residence in Helena, Mont., after he failed to appear in a Los Angeles County criminal proceeding.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

And from around 2007, England's criminal justice agencies should have started to realise he was telling the truth.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

This is a rare instance of an ICE agent facing criminal charges for actions related to their work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Notably it does not protect them from federal criminal violations, intellectual property claims or violations of sex trafficking laws.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

The officers had no basis for suspecting Bostick of any criminal activity, but they got lucky.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Vocabulary lists containing criminal

Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"

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Module 1: Vocabulary Video Words

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Crime and Punishment

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!