Legal Dictionary

criminal

Definition of criminal

Etymology

    From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen ("crime")

Pronunciation

Adjective

criminal (comparative more criminal, superlative most criminal)

  1. Being against the [[law], forbidden by legislation.
  2. Guilty of breaking the law.
  3. (law) In various legal systems, the most serious type of law-breaking, carrying graver sentences then one or more 'lesser' categories

    Our superior penal courts deal with crimes, leaving misdemeanors and minor offenses to lower tribunals, at least in first instance

  4. Of or relating to crime, criminality.
  5. (figuratively) As abhorrent as vile crime, in a moral, logical or other non-legal context

    Printing such asinine opinions without rebuttal is criminal, even when not liable!

  6. Of or relating to crime control, notably penal law.

    His criminal record shows his resistance to all crime prevention and - repression.

Synonyms

Noun

criminal (plural criminals)

  1. A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.

Synonyms

  1. lawbreaker
  2. offender
  3. perpetrator

References:

  1. Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.



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