criminal

English

Etymology

From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɪm.ɪ.nəl/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɪm.ə.nəl/

Adjective

criminal (comparative more criminal, superlative most criminal)

1. Against the law; forbidden by law.
   • 1711 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “MONDAY, March 19, 1710–1711”, in The Spectator, number 16; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:

     Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves.

     The spelling has been modernized.

2. Guilty of breaking the law.
   • a. 1729, John Rogers, The Difficulties of Obtaining Salvation:

     The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God.

3. Of or relating to crime or penal law.

   His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.

   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:

     The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject […] in some cases, were liable to criminal process.

4. (figuratively) Abhorrent or very undesirable.

   Printing such asinine opinions is criminal!

   • 2020 May 6, Graeme Pickering, “Borders Railway: time for the next step”, in Rail, page 54:

     [...] I think it represents exceptional value for money and I think it would be criminal not to go ahead and build it."

Synonyms

• crimeful
• illegal
• delictuous

Derived terms

• age of criminal responsibility
• criminal code
• criminal conversation
• criminalisation
• criminalist
• criminalistics
• criminality
• criminalize
• criminal law
• criminal lawyer
• criminally
• criminal negligence
• criminalness
• criminal offence
• criminal offense
• criminal procedure
• criminal prosecution
• criminal prosecutor
• criminal psychologist
• criminal psychology
• criminal record
• criminal religious movement
• criminal science
• criminal scientist
• criminal tool
• criminal tribe
• pseudocriminal

 

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *krey-‎ (0 c, 86 e)

Collocations

with nouns

• criminal law
• criminal justice
• criminal court
• criminal procedure
• criminal prosecution
• criminal intent
• criminal case
• criminal act
• criminal action
• criminal behavior
• criminal offenceliability
• criminal investigation
• criminal conduct
• criminal defense
• criminal trial
• criminal history
• criminal responsibility
• criminal lawyer
• criminal tribunal
• criminal appeal
• criminal process
• criminal background
• criminal mind
• criminal conspiracy
• criminal evidence
• criminal gang
• criminal organization
• criminal underworld
• criminal jurisprudence
• criminal offender
• criminal jury
• criminal police
• criminal past
• criminal group
• criminal punishment
• criminal attorney
• criminal violence
• criminal report
• criminal career
• criminal psychology

Translations

being against the law

• Albanian: keqbërës (sq)
• Belarusian: злачы́нны (zlačýnny), крыміна́льны (kryminálʹny)
• Bengali: অপরাধমূলক (bn) (oporadhmulok)
• Bulgarian: престъ́пен (bg) (prestǎ́pen), кримина́лен (bg) (kriminálen)
• Catalan: criminal (ca)
• Czech: zločinný, trestný (cs)
• Dutch: misdadig (nl), crimineel (nl), onwettig (nl)
• Finnish: rikollinen (fi), lainvastainen (fi), rangaistava
• French: criminel (fr)
• Galician: criminal (gl)
• Georgian: დანაშაულებრივი (današaulebrivi)
• German: kriminell (de)
• Greek: εγκληματικός (el) (egklimatikós), ποινικός (el) (poinikós)

  Ancient: ἀθέμιτος (athémitos)

• Hungarian: bűnös (hu), törvénytelen (hu), törvénysértő (hu)
• Indonesian: melanggar hukum
• Italian: criminale (it) m or f
• Japanese: 犯罪的 (はんざいてき, hanzai-teki)
• Korean: 범죄적(犯罪的) (beomjoejeok)
• Latin: scelestus (la)
• Macedonian: злосторнички (zlostornički), кримина́лен (kriminálen), престапен (prestapen)
• Norman: crînminnel
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kriminell (no)

  Nynorsk: kriminell

• Persian: جزایی (jazâyi)
• Polish: przestępczy (pl), kryminalny (pl)
• Portuguese: criminoso (pt)
• Romanian: infracțional (ro), criminal (ro)
• Romansch: criminal
• Russian: престу́пный (ru) (prestúpnyj), кримина́льный (ru) (kriminálʹnyj), уголо́вный (ru) (ugolóvnyj)
• Sanskrit: अकृत्य (sa) (akṛtya)
• Scots: creeminal
• Scottish Gaelic: eucoireach
• Swahili: mhalifu (sw)
• Ukrainian: злочи́нний (zločýnnyj), криміна́льний (kryminálʹnyj)
• Uzbek: harakat (uz)
• Yiddish: קרימינעל (kriminel), פֿאַרברעכעריש (farbrekherish)

guilty of breaking the law

• Catalan: criminal (ca)
• Dutch: misdadig (nl), crimineel (nl)
• Finnish: rikollinen (fi)
• French: criminel (fr)
• German: kriminell (de)
• Greek: εγκληματικός (el) (egklimatikós)
• Hungarian: bűnös (hu)
• Italian: criminale (it)
• Korean: 죄인 (罪人) (ko) (joein)
• Latin: scelestus (la)
• Macedonian: престапнички (prestapnički), злосторен (zlostoren)
• Norman: crînminnel
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kriminell (no)

  Nynorsk: kriminell

• Persian: مجرم (fa) (mojrem), گناهکار (fa) (gonâhkâr)
• Portuguese: culpado (pt)
• Romansch: criminal
• Scottish Gaelic: eucoireach
• Swahili: mhalifu (sw)

of or relating to crime

• Bengali: অপরাধমূলক (bn) (oporadhmulok)
• Bulgarian: кримина́лен (bg) (kriminálen)
• Catalan: criminal (ca)
• Czech: zločinný m
• Dutch: misdadig (nl), crimineel (nl)
• Finnish: rikollinen (fi), rikosoikeudellinen (fi)
• French: criminel (fr)
• German: kriminell (de)
• Greek: εγκληματικός (el) (egklimatikós)
• Hebrew: פְּלִילִי m (plilí)
• Hindi: आपराधिक (āprādhik)
• Hungarian: bűnügyi (hu), büntetőjogi (hu), bűnvádi (hu), büntető- (hu), kriminál-
• Indonesian: kriminal (id)
• Khmer: ខាងបទឧក្រិដ្ឋ (kʰaang bɑt okkrǝt)
• Macedonian: кримина́лен (kriminálen)
• Norman: crînminnel
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kriminell (no)

  Nynorsk: kriminell

• Persian: کیفری (fa) (keyfari), جزایی (jazâyi)
• Portuguese: criminal (pt)
• Romansch: criminal
• Russian: кримина́льный (ru) (kriminálʹnyj), уголо́вный (ru) (ugolóvnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: eucoireach
• Swahili: mhalifu (sw)
• Thai: อาชญากร (th) (àat-yaa-gɔɔn),
• Turkish: kriminel (tr)
• Uzbek: harakat (uz), jinoyat (uz)
• Volapük: krimik, midunik (vo)
• Welsh: troseddol (cy)

abhorrent or very undesirable

• Dutch: misdadig (nl), crimineel (nl)
• Finnish: rikollinen (fi) (often with suorastaan)
• Greek: εγκληματικός (el) (egklimatikós)
• Hungarian: megengedhetetlen (hu), kriminális (hu), rettenetes (hu), szörnyű (hu), hajmeresztő (hu)
• Indonesian: bajingan (id)
• Swahili: mhalifu (sw)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} krima
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} kriminal (id), ^{(please verify)} jahat (id)
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} criminal
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} criminale (it), ^{(please verify)} delittuoso
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} criminal (ro)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} criminal (es)

Noun

criminal (plural criminals)

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

   Synonyms: lawbreaker, offender, perpetrator

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     ‘ […]  There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:criminal

Hypernyms

• person

Derived terms

• arch-criminal
• criminal-like
• cybercriminal
• e-criminal

 

Compound words and expressions

• career criminal
• climate criminal
• November criminal
• petty criminal
• thought criminal
• war criminal

 

Translations

person guilty of a crime, breaking the law

• Afrikaans: kriminele
• Albanian: kriminel (sq) m, kriminele (sq) f
• Arabic: مُجْرِم (ar) m (mujrim), مُجْرِمَة f (mujrima)
• Armenian: հանցագործ (hy) (hancʻagorc)
• Azerbaijani: cinayətkar (az)
• Basque: gaizkile
• Belarusian: злачы́нец m (zlačýnjec), злачы́нка f (zlačýnka)
• Bengali: অপরাধী (bn) (opradhi)
• Bulgarian: престъ́пник (bg) m (prestǎ́pnik), престъ́пница f (prestǎ́pnica), престъ́пничка f (prestǎ́pnička)
• Burmese: ရာဇဝတ်ကောင် (my) (raja.watkaung), တရားခံ (my) (ta.ra:hkam)
• Catalan: criminal (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 罪犯 (zeoi⁶ faan^6-2), 犯人 (faan⁶ jan⁴)

  Mandarin: 罪犯 (zh) (zuìfàn), 犯人 (zh) (fànrén), 犯罪分子 (fànzuì fènzǐ) (especially one in custody)

• Czech: zločinec (cs) m, zločinka f
• Danish: kriminel (da) c, forbryder (da) c
• Dutch: misdadiger (nl) m, crimineel (nl) m, delinquent (nl) m
• Esperanto: krimulo
• Estonian: kurjategija, roimar
• Finnish: rikollinen (fi), lainsuojaton (fi), kriminaali (fi)
• French: criminel (fr) m, criminelle (fr) f
• Georgian: დამნაშავე (damnašave)
• German: Krimineller (de) m, Kriminelle (de) f, Verbrecher (de) m, Verbrecherin (de) f, Übeltäter (de) m, Übeltäterin (de) f, Missetäter (de) m, Missetäterin (de) f
• Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌴𐌳𐌾𐌰 m (waidēdja)
• Greek: εγκληματίας (el) m or f (egklimatías)
• Hebrew: עֲבַרְיָן (he) m ('avaryán)
• Hindi: अपराधी (hi) m (aprādhī), दोषी (hi) m (doṣī), मुजरिम (hi) m (mujrim)
• Hungarian: bűnöző (hu), bűnelkövető (hu)
• Icelandic: glæpamaður (is) m
• Indonesian: kriminal (id), penjahat (id), bajingan (id) (pejorative)
• Interlingua: criminal
• Irish: coirpeach m
• Italian: criminale (it) m or f
• Japanese: 犯罪者 (ja) (はんざいしゃ, hanzaisha), 犯人 (ja) (はんにん, hannin)
• Kazakh: қылмыскер (qylmysker)
• Khmer: ឧក្រិដ្ឋជន (ʼokkrətthaʼcŭən)
• Korean: 범죄자(犯罪者) (ko) (beomjoeja), 범인(犯人) (ko) (beomin)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: tawanbar (ku), tawankar (ku), gunehkar (ku)

• Kyrgyz: кылмышкер (ky) (kılmışker)
• Lao: ຜູ້ຮ້າຽ (phū hāi), ຄົນຮ້າຽ (khon hāi)
• Latin: scelestus (la) m, scelus (la) m
• Latvian: noziedznieks m, noziedzniece f
• Lithuanian: nusikaltėlis m, nusikaltėlė f
• Macedonian: злосторник m (zlostornik), злосторница f (zlostornica), престапник m (prestapnik), престапничка f (prestapnička), кримина́лец m (kriminálec), кримина́лка f (kriminálka)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: гэмт хэрэгтэн (gemt xeregten), хэрэгтэн (mn) (xeregten), гэмт (mn) (gemt), гэмтэн (mn) (gemten)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kriminell (no), forbryter (no) m

  Nynorsk: forbrytar m

• Pashto: جنايتکار (ps) m (jenāyatkār), مجرم m (mojrem)
• Persian: بِزِهکار (fa) (bezehkâr), جِنایتکار (fa) (jenâyatkâr), مُجرِم (fa) (mojrem), گُناهکار (fa) (gonâhkâr)
• Plautdietsch: Vebräakja m
• Polish: kryminalista (pl) m, kryminalistka (pl) f, przestępca (pl) m, przestępczyni (pl) f, zbrodniarz (pl) m, zbrodniarka f
• Portuguese: criminoso (pt) m, criminosa (pt) f
• Romanian: infractor (ro) m, infractoare (ro) f
• Russian: престу́пник (ru) m (prestúpnik), престу́пница (ru) f (prestúpnica), правонаруши́тель (ru) m (pravonarušítelʹ), правонаруши́тельница (ru) f (pravonarušítelʹnica)
• Scottish Gaelic: eucoireach m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: зло̀чинац m, зло̀чӣнка m, кримина́лац m, кримѝна̄лка f

  Roman: zlòčinac (sh) m, zlòčīnka (sh) f, kriminálac (sh) m, krimìnālka (sh) f

• Slovak: zločinec m, zločinka f, kriminálnik m, kriminálnička f
• Slovene: kriminálec m, kriminalka f, zločinec (sl) m, zločinka f
• Spanish: criminal (es)
• Swahili: mhalifu (sw) class 1/2
• Swedish: brottsling (sv) c, förbrytare (sv) c
• Tajik: ҷинояткор (jinoyatkor), гунаҳкор (gunahkor), муҷрим (mujrim)
• Tatar: җинаятьче (tt) (cinayat’çe)
• Thai: ผู้ร้าย (pûu-ráai), คนร้าย (kon-ráai)
• Turkish: suçlu (tr), kriminel (tr)
• Turkmen: jenaýatkär (tk), jenaýatcy, jenaýatly (tk)
• Ukrainian: злочи́нець m (zločýnecʹ), злочи́нниця f (zločýnnycja)
• Urdu: مُجرِم m (mujrim)
• Uyghur: جىنايەتچى (jinayetchi)
• Uzbek: jinoyatchi (uz)
• Vietnamese: tội phạm (vi) (罪犯)
• Volapük: (♂♀) kriman, (♂) hikriman, (♀) jikriman, (♂♀) midunan (vo), (♂) himidunan, (♀) jimidunan
• Welsh: troseddwr (cy) m, troseddwyr (cy) m pl
• Yiddish: פֿאַרברעכער m (farbrekher)

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin criminālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencian) [kɾi.miˈnal]

Adjective

criminal m or f (masculine and feminine plural criminals)

1. criminal (against the law)
2. criminal (guilty of breaking the law)
3. criminal (of or relating to crime)

Derived terms

• criminalista
• criminalitat
• criminalitzar
• criminalment

 

Noun

criminal m or f by sense (plural criminals)

1. criminal (a person who is guilty of a crime)

Related terms

• crim

Further reading

• “criminal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “criminal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “criminal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “criminal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɾimiˈnal/ [kɾi.mĩˈnɑɫ]
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

criminal m or f (plural criminais)

1. criminal (that constitutes a crime)

   Synonym: criminoso

2. criminal (relating or pertaining to crimes)

   Synonym: criminoso

3. (colloquial) that can be very bad in its class or that can be harmful

Noun

criminal m or f by sense (plural criminais)

1. criminal (a person who has committed a crime)

   Synonym: asasino

Further reading

• “criminal” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

Occitan

Alternative forms

• criminau (Gascony, Provençal)

Adjective

criminal m (feminine singular criminala, masculine plural criminals, feminine plural criminalas) (Languedoc)

1. criminal

Further reading

• Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 206.

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis, from Latin crīmen.

Adjective

criminal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular criminale)

1. criminal; illegal; against the law

Declension

Declension of criminal

Number	Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	Subject	criminals or criminaus	criminale	criminal
	Oblique	criminal			criminale	criminal
Plural	Subject	criminal	criminales		criminal
	Oblique	criminals or criminaus			criminales	criminal

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kɾi.miˈnaw/ [kɾi.miˈnaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɾi.miˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɾi.miˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɾi.miˈna.li/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: cri‧mi‧nal

Adjective

criminal m or f (plural criminais, not comparable)

1. (law) criminal (of or relating to crime or penal law)

   Antecedente criminal.

   Criminal record.

Derived terms

• criminalidade
• criminalismo
• criminalista
• criminalizar
• criminalmente

Related terms

• crime
• criminação
• criminado
• criminador
• criminalística
• criminalístico
• criminalizável
• criminar
• criminologia
• criminológico
• criminologista
• criminólogo
• criminoso

Further reading

• “criminal” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French criminel, Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kri.miˈnal]

Noun

criminal m (plural criminali, feminine equivalent criminală)

1. criminal, felon, perpetrator, offender, lawbreaker
2. murderer, slayer
3. cutthroat, thug

Declension

Declension of criminal

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) criminal	criminalul	(niște) criminali	criminalii
genitive/dative	(unui) criminal	criminalului	(unor) criminali	criminalilor
vocative	criminalule		criminalilor

Adjective

criminal m or n (feminine singular criminală, masculine plural criminali, feminine and neuter plural criminale)

1. criminal, felonious, lawbreaking
2. murderous, homicidal
3. cutthroat

Declension

Declension of criminal

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	criminal		criminală	criminali	criminale
	definite	criminalul		criminala	criminalii	criminalele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	criminal		criminale	criminali	criminale
	definite	criminalului		criminalei	criminalelor	criminalilor

Related terms

• criminalitate

Adverb

criminal

1. criminally

Related terms

• crimă

Further reading

• criminal in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɾimiˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: cri‧mi‧nal

Adjective

criminal m or f (masculine and feminine plural criminales)

1. criminal

   Synonym: criminoso

Derived terms

• criminalista
• criminalizar
• criminalmente

 

Noun

criminal m or f by sense (plural criminales)

1. criminal

Derived terms

• criminal de guerra

 

Related terms

• acriminar
• crimen
• criminalidad

 

Further reading

• “criminal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014