From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen.

• (British, America, Australia) IPA: /ˈkɹɪm.ɪ.nəl/
• IPA: /ˈkɹɪm.ə.nəl/

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. […], volume (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!

• crimeful
• illegal
• delictuous

• French: criminel
• German: kriminell
• Italian: criminale
• Portuguese: criminoso
• Russian: престу́пный

• French: criminel
• German: kriminell
• Italian: criminale
• Portuguese: culpado

• French: criminel
• German: kriminell
• Portuguese: criminal
• Russian: кримина́льный

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—’

• See also Thesaurus:criminal

• French: criminel, criminelle
• German: Krimineller, Kriminelle, Verbrecher, Verbrecherin, Übeltäter, Übeltäterin, Missetäter, Missetäterin
• Italian: criminale
• Portuguese: criminoso, criminosa
• Russian: престу́пник
• Spanish: criminal