criminal

UK: /ˈkrɪmɪn^əl/ US: /ˈkrɪmənəl/ ,(krim′ə nl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

crim•i•nal /ˈkrɪmənəl/   adj. 

1. of the nature of or involving crime:
   a criminal organization.
2. Law dealing with crime or its punishment:
   [often: before a noun] a criminal lawyer.
3. senseless;
   foolish:
   a criminal waste of food.

n. [countable]

4. Law a person who is convicted of, or who commits, a crime:
   The criminals won't get away with what they've been doing.

crim•i•nal•ly, adv.: 

a home for the criminally insane.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

crim•i•nal  (krim′ə nl), adj. 

1. of the nature of or involving crime.
2. guilty of crime.
3. Law of or pertaining to crime or its punishment:
   a criminal proceeding.
4. senseless;
   foolish:
   It's criminal to waste so much good food.
5. exorbitant;
   grossly overpriced:
   They charge absolutely criminal prices.

n. 

6. Law a person guilty or convicted of a crime.

• Late Latin crīminālis, equivalent. to Latin crīmin- (stem of crīmen; see crime) + -ālis -al¹
• Anglo-French
• Middle English 1350–1400

crim′i•nal•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. felonious, unlawful. See illegal. 
• 6. malefactor, evildoer, transgressor, culprit, felon, crook, hoodlum, gangster.

Antonyms

• 1. lawful.
• 2. innocent.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

criminal / ˈkrɪmɪn^əl/ noun

1. a person charged with and convicted of crime
2. a person who commits crimes for a living

adjective

1. of, involving, or guilty of crime
2. (prenominal) of or relating to crime or its punishment
3. senseless or deplorable

Etymology: 15th Century: from Late Latin crīminālis; see crime, -al¹

ˈcriminally adverb