as in illegal
contrary to or forbidden by law
people should know with certainty that criminal behavior will be punished
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offender
a person who has committed a crime
car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of criminal
Charles Lane, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2026
Jair Bolsonaro was also convicted on charges that include leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Adjective
Without a finding of fault from the RTE, prosecutors would have been very unlikely to start a criminal investigation into Milou’s case.
—Charles Lane, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2026
Jair Bolsonaro was also convicted on charges that include leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
This was especially the case since the transactions in question involved moving Tether stablecoins on the blockchain Tron—a payment method favored by cyber-criminals and money launderers.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminal
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Noun
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Last year, the county sued NaphCare for its alleged role in the death of Brandon Yates, who was murdered in the Central Jail in 2024 after being wrongly placed into a cell with a violent offender.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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Police said an offender is in custody and a weapon was recovered.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, seeks reinstatement and a court declaration that the terminations were unlawful.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
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The acquisition would give Nexstar control of 228 broadcast stations reaching 80% of television households in 132 local markets and increase concentration in more than a dozen local markets by more than 10 times the amount that is presumptively unlawful under the antitrust laws.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The medical examiner also determined the drug was illicit (as opposed to medical-grade) and ingested orally.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
18 Mar. 2026
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The smugglers let him aboard, and the boy clambered around hatches that, if opened, would reveal dozens of felonies worth of illicit cargo.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Caleb Flynn was charged with murder, two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence, but a Miami County court official told Fox News Digital that the prosecutor is considering additional charges.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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The pending charges are armed robbery, unlawful imprisonment, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nearly two decades after a federal racketeering conviction sent him to prison and forced him out of a powerful South Florida labor union his family created, Walter Browne has won a nearly $300,000 wrongful termination payout from the exact same organization.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
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The insurance would be used to cover legal fees if an officer is found liable for a wrongful injury or death, instead of tapping into the city’s General Fund budget.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Criminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminal. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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