Meaning & use
criminal
A person who has committed a crime or has been convicted of breaking the law.
See it in a sentence
Police arrested the criminal responsible for the string of downtown burglaries.
The documentary followed a reformed criminal who now mentors at-risk teenagers.
A note on using this word
As an adjective, criminal describes anything relating to crime, as in 'criminal law' or 'criminal behavior.'
Words with a similar meaning
offenderlawbreaker
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Relating to crime, or so wrong as to deserve severe blame.
Leaving a toddler alone near the pool was a criminal lapse in judgment.
Make it your own
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