criminal
/ˈkrɪmɪn(ə)l
/noun
A person who has committed a crime: these men are dangerous criminals...
- One of the uses of capital punishment is to deter other criminals from committing more crimes.
- Most heroin users were criminals who committed crimes before they ever used drugs.
- A threat as harsh as death to all that commit a serious crime would deter some criminals.
adjective
1Relating to crime: they are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage a criminal offence...
- The crimes include shoplifting, assault, public order offences, theft and criminal damage.
- After the verdict, he revealed that Bailey had a long record for theft, criminal damage and car crime.
- He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the spamming and criminal conspiracy offences.
1.1 Law Relating to crime as opposed to civil matters: a criminal court...
- Should the rules for disclosure be different for civil and criminal matters?
- The principles applied by the civil / criminal court are sound and based on experience and aim at doing justice.
- It is important to note, however, that the right covers civil as well as criminal litigation.
2 informal (Of an action or situation) deplorable and shocking: he may never fulfil his potential, and that would be a criminal waste
Origin
late Middle English (as an adjective): from late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen, crimin- (see crime).