as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of criminal
Madison Czopek, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Dec. 2024
Rosie O'Donnell is reminiscing about her time with her eldest daughter, Chelsea O'Donnell, amid Chelsea's recent criminal arrests.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2024
That was also something that was unique, and maybe uniquely dangerous about Bob’s group, is that a lot of the people who joined and then became violent bank robbers and murderers had not been criminals before.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criminal 
Adjective
The law says people in violation who refuse to leave bathrooms when asked could be charged with criminal trespass.
—Madison Czopek, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Dec. 2024
Rosie O'Donnell is reminiscing about her time with her eldest daughter, Chelsea O'Donnell, amid Chelsea's recent criminal arrests.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
Some of those on sent to the island, had been arrested on trumped up charges, or false accusations aimed at settling old scores, while the prison population also included hardened criminals.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2024
That was also something that was unique, and maybe uniquely dangerous about Bob’s group, is that a lot of the people who joined and then became violent bank robbers and murderers had not been criminals before.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminal
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.James Bruggers, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2017
-
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.Lisa Beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, 5 July 2017
Adjective
-
Currently incarcerated in Utah, YoungBoy faces six charges of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, as well as charges related to a pattern of unlawful activity stemming from a May 2023 arrest.Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 11 Dec. 2024
-
Some are called because of incorrect ingredient information on packet labels or unlawful importation, for example.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The woman, 29, arrived at Auckland International Airport in New Zealand on a flight from Vancouver on December 8 carrying the illicit drugs in her carry-on bag, according to a release from the New Zealand Customs Service.Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 14 Dec. 2024
-
Most drones that are sighted appear to be larger than typical hobbyist models, which has also heightened concerns about their potential use for surveillance or other illicit purposes.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Stiles pleaded guilty in 2005 to felonious assault after he was accused of hitting and shaking his girlfriend's infant son, Carl Legget Jr., causing brain damage.Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 11 Dec. 2024
-
In September, Myra’s grandmother, 43-year-old Mia Harris, pleaded guilty to felonious assault, and on Oct. 29 she was sentenced to nine to 12 years in prison.John Johnston, The Enquirer, 28 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Recent works include Camino Ghosts (May 2024), the third book in his Camino Island series, and Framed (October 2024), a non-fiction exploration of wrongful convictions, co-written with Jim McCloskey.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
-
The Kamara family filed a legal claim against San Diego County last spring alleging wrongful arrest and death and seeking unspecified damages.Jeff Mcdonald, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near criminal
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share