criminal
Adjective:
- Relating to or involving crime: Describes something connected with illegal acts or offenses against the law.
- Guilty of crime: Describes a person who has committed a crime.
- Morally wrong; deplorable: Used to describe an action or situation that is considered shockingly bad or wasteful, deserving severe criticism.
Noun:
- A person who has committed a crime: Refers to someone who has performed an act prohibited by law and is often, but not always, legally convicted.
Adjective:
- The police are investigating the criminal activity in the downtown area.
- He was found to be criminal in his actions and was sentenced to prison.
- It is a criminal waste of resources to throw away perfectly good food.
Noun:
- The criminal was apprehended after a short chase.
- She works as a lawyer defending alleged criminals.
"Criminal negligence": A legal concept where a person's failure to act with reasonable care results in serious harm or death, potentially leading to criminal charges.
- The company executive was charged with criminal negligence after the factory accident.
"Criminal intent" (or "mens rea"): The mental state of intending to commit a crime, which is often a necessary element for a conviction.
- The prosecution must prove criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt.
Criminality (n): The state of being criminal; criminal behavior or activities.
- The report studied the root causes of urban criminality.
Criminally (adv): In a criminal manner; to a shocking or deplorable degree.
- He acted criminally. / The plan was criminally negligent.
Criminalize (v): To make an activity illegal by law.
- The new bill seeks to criminalize the possession of certain substances.
- Adjective (illegal): Unlawful, illicit, felonious.
- Adjective (deplorable): Shameful, reprehensible, disgraceful.
- Noun (offender): Lawbreaker, felon, culprit, delinquent.
"Criminal record": An official record of a person's criminal history.
- Having a criminal record can make it difficult to find a job.
"Criminal justice system": The system of law enforcement, courts, and corrections involved in apprehending, prosecuting, defending, sentencing, and punishing those suspected or convicted of crimes.
- He studied reforms to the criminal justice system.
"A criminal waste": An extreme and shocking waste of something valuable.
- Leaving that talent unused is a criminal waste.
"Partner in crime": (Informal, often humorous) A close friend or accomplice with whom one shares activities, not necessarily illegal ones.
- My best friend is my partner in crime for all my adventures.
- involving or being or having the nature of a crime
- a criminal offense
- criminal abuse
- felonious intent
- guilty of crime or serious offense
- criminal in the sight of God and man
- bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
- a criminal waste of talent
- a deplorable act of violence
- adultery is as reprehensible for a husband as for a wife
- someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime