Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for criminal. Search instead for kriminal-.
Definitions

criminal

[krim-uh-nl] / ˈkrɪm ə nl /
ADJECTIVE
lawless, felonious
Synonyms
STRONGEST
corrupt deplorable illegal illegitimate illicit scandalous senseless unlawful vicious
STRONG
bent heavy racket wildcat wrong
WEAK
caught crooked culpable dirty hung up indictable iniquitous nefarious off base out of line peccant shady smoking gun unrighteous villainous wicked
Antonyms
STRONGEST
authorized blessed ethical good kind lawful legal legitimate moral noble proper pure right uncorrupt
WEAK
correct righteous
NOUN
person who breaks the law
Synonyms
STRONGEST
convict crook culprit felon fugitive gangster hoodlum hooligan lawbreaker mobster offender thug
STRONG
bad guy bad person baddie baddy blackmailer con delinquent desperado deuce evildoer guerrilla heavy hood hustler jailbird malefactor mug muscle outlaw racketeer repeater scofflaw sinner transgressor trespasser wrongdoer yardbird
WEAK
bad actor black marketeer ex-con inside person slippery eel
Antonyms
STRONGEST
police
WEAK
law

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

County juvenile halls, almost half of the criminal cases are falling apart.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

On Tuesday, Hertfordshire Police said it has sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and detectives determined there was "insufficient evidence" to bring forward criminal charges.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Under growing pressure, the government appointed a special investigator to probe whether current and former soldiers should face criminal charges.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

The Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for a lower court to erase the criminal conviction of President Trump’s longtime adviser Steve Bannon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

But now and again, I had my doubts about Mr. Pinkerton’s detectives and the lengths they were willing to go to in order to catch a criminal.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan