criminal law

noun

: the law of crimes and their punishments

Examples of criminal law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Set acceptable error margins and ensure AI tools meet these standards before integration, recognizing that error tolerance may vary depending on the legal domain, such as criminal law versus corporate compliance. Phillip Greer, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 The militant group is responsible for some of the most serious breaches of international criminal law. Binaifer Nowrojee, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024 The drama starring Stephen Amell and Josh McDermitt is set at a Los Angeles firm that specializes in entertainment and criminal law. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2024 India uses existing criminal laws for similar issues. Forrester, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for criminal law 

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of criminal law was in 1672

Dictionary Entries Near criminal law

Cite this Entry

“Criminal law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminal%20law. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

criminal law

noun
: public law that deals with crimes and their prosecution compare civil law

Note: Substantive criminal law defines crimes, and procedural criminal law sets down criminal procedure. Substantive criminal law was originally common law for the most part. It was later codified and is now found in federal and state statutory law.

More from Merriam-Webster on criminal law

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