Word
criminal
Phoneticscrim·i·nal, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɹɪmənəɫ/
UK/kɹˈɪmɪnəl/
Definitions
01a person who breaks the law
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. someone who has committed a crime or has been found guilty by a court.
n. a person who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of an offence.
日本語:犯罪者※
“The police are still searching for the criminal who robbed the bank.”
“The justice system aims to rehabilitate the criminal rather than simply imposing a punitive sentence for the sake of retribution.”
02illegal
B1 · Intermediate Law
adj. describing an action that is against the law.
adj. relating to, involving, or being a crime; forbidden by law.
“Stealing a car is a serious criminal act that can lead to prison.”
“The investigation uncovered a vast criminal network involved in international money laundering and tax evasion.”
03relating to the law system
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law
adj. relating to the part of the legal system that deals with crimes.
adj. relating to the administration of penal law or the prosecution of crimes.
“She decided to study criminal law because she wanted to be a prosecutor.”
“The defendant's criminal record was presented to the judge during the sentencing phase of the trial.”
Antonyms
04shameful or wasteful
C1 · Advanced Informal
adj. used to describe something that is very unfair, wasteful, or disappointing.
adj. deplorable, shocking, or extremely wasteful; used as a figurative intensifier for undesirable situations.
“It is criminal to waste so much good food when people are hungry.”
“The neglect of such a beautiful historic building is absolutely criminal, especially given the city's recent investment in urban renewal.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “criminal” in context.
Verb
01. catch criminal
“New surveillance cameras were installed to help the police catch criminals.”
verb + noun
Adjective
02. convicted criminal
“As a convicted criminal, he found it difficult to find a job after his release.”
adj + noun
03. criminal justice
04. criminal charges
05. criminal activity
06. criminal court
07. criminal investigation
08. criminal proceedings
09. a known criminal
“He was already a known criminal to the local police department.”
10. bring a criminal to justice
“The victims' families hope the police will finally bring the criminal to justice.”
11. criminal cases
12. criminal record
Etymology
From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADVERB
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/criminal
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0