criminal

Pertaining to, or involving, crimes or the administration of penal justice. An individual who has been found guilty of the commission of conduct that causes social harm and that is punishable by law; a person who has committed a crime.

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criminal 1) n. a popular term for anyone who has committed a crime, whether convicted of the offense or not. More properly it should apply only to those actually convicted of a crime. Repeat offenders are sometimes called habitual criminals. 2) adj. certain acts or people involved in or relating to a crime. Examples of uses include "criminal taking," "criminal conspiracy," a "criminal gang." (See: convict, felon, habitual criminal)

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criminal noun bandit, blackguard, buccaneer, convict, defrauder, evildoer, extortionist, felon, filcher, fugitive, gangster, grafter, guilty person, gunman, hardened offender, juvenile delinquent, kidnapper, killer, knave, malefactor, malfeasant, manslayer, marauder, murderer, offender, outlaw, pilferer, pillager, pirate, plunderer, public enemy, recidivist, recreant, reus, robber, sceleratus, smuggler, sneak thief, swindler, terrorist, thief, transgressor, underworld character, villain, worker of iniquity, wrongdoer
Associated concepts: convicted criminal, criminal action, criminal attempt, criminal capacity, criminal case or cause, criminal charge, criminal code, criminal conduct, criminal conspiracy, criminal contempt, criminal conviction, criminal courts, criminal information, criminal intent, criminal judggents, criminal jurisdiction, criminal motive, criminal negliience, criminal offense, criminal procedure, criminal process, criminal prosecution, criminal responsibility, crimmnal sanctions, criminal solicitation, criminal statute, criminal syndicalism, criminal transaction, criminal trial, habitual criminal, known criminals
Foreign phrases: Frustra legis auxilium invocat qui in legem committit.He vainly seeks the aid of the law who transgresses the law.

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See also: aggressor, assailant, blameful, blameworthy, burglar, convict, culpable, delinquent, embezzler, felon, felonious, guilty, hoodlum, illegal, illegitimate, illicit, immoral, impermissible, improper, iniquitous, irregular, larcenous, lawbreaker, lawless, malefactor, nefarious, offender, outlaw, peccant, prisoner, racketeer, recidivist, reprehensible, reprobate, tainted, thief, unconscionable, unlawful, vandal, vicious, wrongdoer, wrongful

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CRIMINAL. Relating to, or having the character of crime; as, criminal law, criminal conversation, &c. It also signifies a person convicted of a crime.

LAW, CRIMINAL. By criminal law is understood that system of laws which provides for the mode of trial of persons charged with criminal offences, defines crimes, and provides for their punishments.