What does criminal mean?
A criminal is a person who commits a crime or has been convicted of one by a court of law. The word also functions as an adjective describing anything connected with crime or its legal punishment: criminal law governs offences against the state and society, distinct from civil law, which handles disputes between individuals. In everyday speech, criminal carries a strongly negative connotation, implying deliberate wrongdoing rather than mere error. It is also used figuratively and informally to condemn something as outrageously wrong — a 'criminal waste of public funds,' for instance — though this usage trades on exaggeration. Common collocations include criminal record, criminal investigation, criminal justice, and criminal negligence. Related forms include criminality (the quality of being criminal), criminalize (to make something illegal), and criminally (as an adverb). Because the word labels a person by their worst act, many legal and social institutions now prefer more neutral terms such as offender or defendant.
A person who has committed a crime, especially one who has been convicted of an offence in a court of law.
"The fugitive remained one of the country's most wanted criminals until his capture last spring."
In official statistics and rehabilitation contexts, alternatives like 'offender' or 'convict' may be used to reduce stigma.
Relating to crime or its punishment; also, figuratively, disgracefully wrong or culpable.
"She studied criminal law before joining the district attorney's office."
In legal usage, 'criminal' contrasts specifically with 'civil' — criminal cases involve offences against the state, civil cases disputes between parties.
Standard plural, formed regularly with -s.
"The prison was designed to rehabilitate first-time criminals rather than merely punish them."
Every 'criminal' in English carries a hidden Latin accusation inside it — the same root that gives us incriminate literally means 'to charge with guilt.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of criminal
The word criminal derives from the Latin 'criminalis,' meaning 'relating to crime,' itself formed from 'crimen' (genitive 'criminis'), meaning accusation, charge, or offence. Latin 'crimen' likely traces further back to the root of 'cernere,' meaning to decide or distinguish, reflecting the act of passing judgment. English adopted the word via Old French in the medieval period, and it has carried both its noun and adjectival senses since then. Its Latin root also underlies related borrowings such as criminology, incriminate, and recrimination.
Related word forms
How criminal is actually used
In formal and legal contexts, 'criminal' almost always appears with legal terminology — criminal law, criminal court, criminal liability — where it specifically contrasts with civil matters. The figurative adjective use ('a criminal waste of money') is informal and hyperbolic, common in journalism and everyday speech. When referring to people, terms like 'offender' are often preferred in official or rehabilitative contexts because 'criminal' can carry strong stigma.
Easily confused with criminal
Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals as a field of scholarship, whereas a criminal is an individual who commits crime.
To incriminate is to make someone appear guilty of a crime; a criminal is the person who actually commits or is convicted of one.