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Showing results for criminal. Search instead for kriminalern.
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.

The Texas Rangers recently opened a criminal probe into complaints of negligence by camp leaders on the night of the flood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

He’d never held statewide office when he was elected to Congress after a career that included serving on the Dublin City Council and working as a criminal prosecutor for Alameda County.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

The evidence in the earlier defamation case may be "nothing like" the material in the criminal case, Howell added.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 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

He complained to James Monroe that “my name is running through all the city as detected in criminal correspondence with the French directory.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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

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