# criminal
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).

### Pronunciation

* (UK, US, General Australian) IPA: /ˈkɹɪm.ɪ.nəl/
** Audio (US):(file)
* IPA: /ˈkɹɪm.ə.nəl/

### Adjective

criminal (comparative more criminal, superlative most criminal)
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* (figuratively) Abhorrent or very undesirable.
    Printing such asinine opinions is criminal!
** 2020 May 6, Graeme Pickering, “Borders Railway: time for the next step”, in Rail, page 54:[...] I think it represents exceptional value for money and I think it would be criminal not to go ahead and build it."

#### Synonyms

* crimeful
* illegal
* delictuous

#### Derived terms

* age of criminal responsibility
* anticriminal
* archcriminal
* certificate of no criminal conviction
* criminal code
* criminal conversation
* criminaldom
* criminalese
* criminaless
* criminalisation
* criminalise
* criminalish
* criminalism
* criminalist
* criminalistic
* criminalistics
* criminality
* criminalization
* criminalize
* criminal law
* criminal lawyer
* criminally
* criminal negligence
* criminalness
* criminal offence
* criminal offense
* criminaloid
* criminal procedure
* criminal prosecution
* criminal prosecutor
* criminal psychologist
* criminal psychology
* criminal record
* criminal science
* criminal scientist
* criminal tool
* criminal tribe
* criminigger
* criminogenic
* criminology
* crimmigrant
* crimmigration
* medicocriminal
* noncriminal
* pseudocriminal
* quasicriminal
* semicriminal
* subcriminal
* supercriminal
* uncriminal

#### Collocations

* criminal law
* criminal justice
* criminal court
* criminal procedure
* criminal prosecution
* criminal intent
* criminal case
* criminal act
* criminal action
* criminal behavior
* criminal offenceliability
* criminal investigation
* criminal conduct
* criminal defense
* criminal trial
* criminal history
* criminal responsibility
* criminal lawyer
* criminal tribunal
* criminal appeal
* criminal process
* criminal background
* criminal mind
* criminal conspiracy
* criminal evidence
* criminal gang
* criminal organization
* criminal underworld
* criminal jurisprudence
* criminal offender
* criminal jury
* criminal police
* criminal past
* criminal group
* criminal punishment
* criminal attorney
* criminal violence
* criminal report
* criminal career
* criminal psychology

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Noun

criminal (plural criminals)
* 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—’

#### Synonyms

* See also Thesaurus:criminal

#### Hypernyms

* person

#### Derived terms

* arch-criminal
* criminal-like
* cybercriminal
* e-criminal
* career criminal
* climate criminal
* criminal against humanity
* November criminal
* petty criminal
* thought criminal
* war criminal

#### Translations
## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin criminālis.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [kɾi.miˈnal]

### Adjective

criminal m or f (masculine and feminine plural criminals)
* criminal (against the law)
* criminal (guilty of breaking the law)
* criminal (of or relating to crime)

#### Derived terms

* criminalista
* criminalitat
* criminalitzar
* criminalment

### Noun

criminal m or f by sense (plural criminals)
* criminal (a person who is guilty of a crime)

#### Related terms

* crim

### Further reading

* “criminal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “criminal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “criminal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “criminal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Galician
### Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kɾimiˈnal/ [kɾi.mĩˈnɑɫ]
* Rhymes: -al

### Adjective

criminal m or f (plural criminais)
* criminal (that constitutes a crime)
    Synonym: criminoso
* criminal (relating or pertaining to crimes)
    Synonym: criminoso
* (colloquial) that can be very bad in its class or that can be harmful

### Noun

criminal m or f by sense (plural criminais)
* criminal (a person who has committed a crime)
    Synonym: asasino

### Further reading

* “criminal”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

## Occitan
### Alternative forms

* criminau (Gascony, Provençal)

### Pronunciation

* This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

### Adjective

criminal m (feminine singular criminala, masculine plural criminals, feminine plural criminalas) (Languedoc)
* criminal

### Further reading

* Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 206.

## Old French
### Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis, from Latin crīmen.

### Adjective

criminal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular criminale)
* criminal; illegal; against the law

#### Declension
## Portuguese
### Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /kɾi.miˈnaw/ [kɾi.miˈnaʊ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /kɾi.miˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnaɫ]
* (Portugal) IPA: /kɾi.miˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnaɫ]
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /kɾi.miˈna.li/
* Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
* Hyphenation: cri‧mi‧nal

### Adjective

criminal m or f (plural criminais, not comparable)
* (law) criminal (of or relating to crime or penal law)
    Antecedente criminal.Criminal record.

#### Derived terms

* criminalidade
* criminalismo
* criminalista
* criminalizar
* criminalmente

#### Related terms

* crime
* criminação
* criminado
* criminador
* criminalística
* criminalístico
* criminalizável
* criminar
* criminologia
* criminológico
* criminologista
* criminólogo
* criminoso

### Further reading

* “criminal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French criminel, Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [kri.miˈnal]

### Noun

criminal m (plural criminali, feminine equivalent criminală)
* criminal, felon, perpetrator, offender, lawbreaker
* murderer, slayer
* cutthroat, thug

#### Declension
### Adjective

criminal m or n (feminine singular criminală, masculine plural criminali, feminine and neuter plural criminale)
* criminal, felonious, lawbreaking
* murderous, homicidal
* cutthroat

#### Related terms

* criminalitate

### Adverb

criminal
* criminally

#### Related terms

* crimă

### Further reading

* criminal in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

## Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin or Juridical Latin criminālis (“criminal”), from Latin crīmen (“verdict; crime”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kɾimiˈnal/ [kɾi.miˈnal]
* Rhymes: -al
* Syllabification: cri‧mi‧nal

### Adjective

criminal m or f (masculine and feminine plural criminales)
* criminal
    Synonym: criminoso

#### Derived terms

* criminalista
* criminalizar
* criminalmente

### Noun

criminal m or f by sense (plural criminales)
* criminal
    Synonyms: penado, delincuente

#### Derived terms

* criminal de guerra

#### Related terms

* acriminar
* crimen
* criminalidad

### Further reading

* “criminal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10