Synonyms of criminal

criminal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkri-mə-nᵊl 

as in illegal

contrary to or forbidden by law

people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illegal
• unlawful
• illicit
• felonious
• wrongful
• unauthorized
• illegitimate
• forbidden
• lawless
• immoral
• criminalized
• prohibited
• evil
• sinful
• shameful
• wrong
• unethical
• wicked
• reprehensible
• bad
• corrupt
• blameworthy
• contraband
• unlicensed
• barred
• proscribed
• unscrupulous
• villainous
• unsanctioned
• outlawed
• unprincipled
• censurable
• discouraged
• under-the-table
• disallowed
• blamable
• interdicted
• adulterine
• banned
• bootleg
• under-the-counter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• legal
• legitimate
• lawful
• ethical
• right
• good
• righteous
• virtuous
• permitted
• just
• principled
• authorized
• licensed
• proper
• approved
• endorsed
• correct
• allowed
• promoted
• decent
• supported
• sanctioned
• suggested
• indorsed
• decorous
• abetted
• encouraged
• seemly

criminal

2 of 2

noun

as in offender

a person who has committed a crime

car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• offender
• lawbreaker
• culprit
• defendant
• crook
• miscreant
• malefactor
• perpetrator
• accomplice
• misdemeanant
• thug
• outlaw
• villain
• suspect
• gangster
• principal
• convict
• desperado
• jailbird
• perp
• mobster
• trespasser
• racketeer
• hoodlum
• gun
• wrongdoer
• sinner
• hooligan
• recidivist
• transgressor
• fish
• arrestee
• triggerman
• evildoer
• detainee
• gunsel
• backslider
• enforcer
• misdoer
• misfeasor
• gunman
• accused
• blackhander
• gallows bird
• button man
• hit man
• repeater
• relapser

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lawman
• gangbuster

Examples of criminal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

How the election could shape Trump's legal fate Former President Donald Trump is involved in four criminal cases, but the most important verdict in his legal future may be delivered on Election Day on Tuesday. —Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024

The defense argued Adams needed resolution of the criminal case by the time the New York City ballot is set in the spring. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024

Noun

Two of the three criminals were caught at a rest stop, but the 30-year-old Dutch driver escaped and continued to drive against the traffic at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, until colliding head-on with a van. —Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024

By contrast, Trump, in his third presidential bid, has espoused a fevered xenophobia, vilifying immigrants as predatory criminals and laying out draconian plans to repress immigration, not fix it. —Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024