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Added 9 October 2026

criminal

/ˈkɹɪm.ɪ.nəl/ adjective

In Latin: scelestus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about criminal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Against the law; forbidden by law.
Guilty of breaking the law.
Of or relating to crime or penal law.
His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.

noun

A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.

Origin

From Middle English cryminal, borrowed from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen (“crime”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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