criminality

noun

crim·​i·​nal·​i·​ty ˌkri-mə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce criminality (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being criminal
2
: criminal activity
urban criminality

Examples of criminality in a Sentence

a report on the drop in criminality in large urban centers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So far, there's nothing to indicate any criminality Carl DeFazio, formerly of the NYPD, was brought on as the private investigator in the case. July 5, CBS News, 5 July 2025 These relationships, the defense team argued, were toxic and perhaps abusive, but failed to meet the government's standards of federal criminality. Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 2 July 2025 The perceptions of criminality and homicide rate indicators both continued their long running trend of improvement. Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025 Carvajal’s decades inside the inner circles of power give him a unique vantage point on how criminality became institutionalized under Maduro — and, before him, Chávez. Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for criminality

Word History

Etymology

criminal entry 1 + -ity, perhaps after French criminalité

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of criminality was in 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Criminality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminality. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Legal Definition

criminality

noun
crim·​i·​nal·​i·​ty ˌkri-mə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce criminality (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being criminal
can't understand the criminality of his act
2
: crime sense 3
violent criminality
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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