criminaldomn.
/ˈkrɪmᵻnldəm/, U.S. /ˈkrɪmənldəm/, /ˈkrɪmnəldəm/ Now rare.
Criminal society, the underworld; criminals collectively.
ΚΠ
1887 Spectator 5 Nov. 1515 The very dregs of French criminaldom.
1902 Racine (Wisconsin) Weekly Jrnl. 11 Apr. (Second section) 4/3 This first sentence would drive him in the ranks of criminaldom.
1931 Mason City (Iowa) Globe-Gaz. 29 Jan. 3/2 The fear of the electric chair must still hang over criminaldom to curtail crime.
1953 M. C. I. Levy Governor George Arthur 154 A veritable hell on earth into which were poured the foulest dregs of colonial criminaldom.
1981 Colorado Springs Gaz.-Tel. 6 June 11 b/6 Whatever happened to Miranda Rights or any of the other benefits to criminaldom that a citizen might perhaps hope to share?
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1887