Pronunciation: /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/

Definitions of criminal

noun a person who has committed a crime

Example Sentences

A1 The criminal was caught by the police.

A2 The criminal was sentenced to five years in prison.

B1 The criminal had a long history of theft and burglary.

B2 The criminal mastermind orchestrated the heist with precision.

C1 The criminal justice system is designed to rehabilitate offenders.

C2 The criminal's defense attorney argued for a reduced sentence based on new evidence.

adjective relating to crime or criminals

Example Sentences

A1 He was caught stealing from the store and is now considered a criminal.

A2 The criminal behavior of the suspect was evident from the security camera footage.

B1 The police are investigating the criminal activities of the gang in the neighborhood.

B2 The criminal mastermind behind the bank heist has managed to evade capture so far.

C1 The criminal justice system is designed to ensure fair trials for all accused individuals.

C2 The criminal underworld operates in secrecy, making it difficult for law enforcement to track their activities.

Examples of criminal in a Sentence

formal The criminal was sentenced to ten years in prison for his actions.

informal The guy who robbed the bank got caught and is now a criminal.

slang That dude is a total criminal, always up to no good.

figurative His reckless behavior was criminal in nature, causing harm to those around him.

Grammatical Forms of criminal

past tense

committed

plural

criminals

comparative

more criminal

superlative

most criminal

present tense

committing

future tense

will commit

perfect tense

have committed

continuous tense

is committing

singular

criminal

positive degree

criminal

infinitive

to commit

gerund

committing

participle

committed

Origin and Evolution of criminal

First Known Use: 1400 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'criminal' originated from the Latin word 'criminālis', which is derived from 'crīmen' meaning 'crime' or 'accusation'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe someone accused of a crime, the word 'criminal' has evolved to refer to a person who has been convicted of a crime and is punishable by law.