I. crim ‧ i ‧ nal 1 S3 W2 /ˈkrɪmən ə l, ˈkrɪmɪn ə l/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ crime , ↑ criminal , ↑ criminologist , ↑ criminology ; verb : ↑ incriminate , ↑ criminalize ≠ ↑ decriminalize ; adjective : ↑ criminal , ↑ incriminating ; adverb : ↑ criminally ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: French ; Origin: criminel , from Late Latin criminalis , from Latin crimen ; ⇨ ↑ crime ]
1 . relating to crime:
Experts cannot agree on the causes of criminal behaviour.
I was sure he was involved in some kind of criminal activity.
She has not committed a criminal offence (=a crime) .
He was arrested and charged with criminal damage (=damaging someone’s property illegally) .
The doctor was found guilty of criminal negligence (=not taking enough care to protect people you are responsible for) .
2 . relating to the part of the legal system that is concerned with crime ⇨ civil :
The case will be tried in a criminal court.
We have no faith in the criminal justice system.
The police are investigating the matter, and he may face criminal charges (=be officially accused of a crime) .
She usually deals with serious criminal cases.
a criminal lawyer
3 . wrong, dishonest, and unacceptable SYN wicked :
It seems criminal that teachers are paid so little money.
—criminally adverb :
a hospital for the criminally insane
—criminality /ˌkrɪməˈnæləti, ˌkrɪmɪˈnæləti/ noun [uncountable]
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ nouns
▪ criminal activity
There was no evidence of any criminal activity.
▪ a criminal offence/act (=a crime)
Cruelty to animals is a criminal offence.
▪ criminal behaviour
Is it possible that the tendency to criminal behaviour is inherited?
▪ criminal wrongdoing American English (=actions that are illegal)
The investigation cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing.
▪ criminal damage British English (=damaging someone's property illegally)
He was charged with criminal damage to his boss's car.
▪ criminal negligence (=not taking enough care to protect people you are responsible for)
Charges of criminal negligence were brought against senior staff.
▪ a criminal investigation (=when a possible crime is investigated)
The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation into the bombing.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ nouns
▪ the criminal justice system
How effective is our criminal justice system?
▪ criminal law
I’m more interested in criminal law than civil law.
▪ a criminal charge (=an official accusation that someone has committed a crime)
He’s been arrested on a very serious criminal charge.
▪ a criminal record (=a record, kept by the police, of the crimes someone has committed)
It can be hard for someone with a criminal record to find work.
▪ a criminal case
The crown court usually deals with criminal cases.
▪ a criminal trial
His year-long criminal trial ended in October.
▪ criminal proceedings (=actions to deal with criminals, such as charging people with crimes or bringing them to trial)
Criminal proceedings have been started against the officers connected with the events.
▪ a criminal court
The trial will take place in an international criminal court.
▪ a criminal lawyer (=who deals with criminal cases)
II. criminal 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ crime , ↑ criminal , ↑ criminologist , ↑ criminology ; verb : ↑ incriminate , ↑ criminalize ≠ ↑ decriminalize ; adjective : ↑ criminal , ↑ incriminating ; adverb : ↑ criminally ]
someone who is involved in illegal activities or has been proved guilty of a crime ⇨ offender :
Police have described the man as a violent and dangerous criminal.
a convicted criminal (=someone who has been found guilty of a crime)
The new law will ensure that habitual criminals (=criminals who commit crimes repeatedly) receive tougher punishments than first-time offenders.
Teenagers should not be sent to prison to mix with hardened criminals (=criminals who have committed and will continue to commit a lot of crimes) .
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THESAURUS
▪ criminal someone who is involved in illegal activities or has been proved guilty of a crime. Criminal is used especially about someone who often does things that are illegal:
Criminals are stealing people's credit card details off the Internet.
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He is one of the most wanted criminals in the United States.
▪ offender someone who breaks the law:
The courts should impose tougher punishments on offenders.
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a special prison for young offenders
▪ crook informal a dishonest person, especially one who steals money and who you cannot trust:
Some politicians are crooks, but not all of them.
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They're just a bunch of crooks.
▪ felon law especially American English someone who has committed a serious crime:
Convicted felons should not be allowed to profit from their crimes.
▪ the culprit the person who has done something wrong or illegal:
The culprits were never found.
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If I ever catch the culprit, he or she is in big trouble.
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The culprits were just six years old.
▪ delinquent a young person who behaves badly and is likely to commit crimes - used especially in the phrase juvenile delinquent :
He later worked with juvenile delinquents in a Florida youth services program.
▪ accomplice someone who helps a criminal to do something illegal:
Police believe the murderer must have had an accomplice.
■ different types of criminal
▪ thief someone who steals things:
Car thieves have been working in the area.
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The thieves stole over £5,000 worth of jewellery.
▪ robber someone who steals money or valuable things from a bank, shop etc – used especially when someone sees the person who is stealing:
a masked robber armed with a shotgun
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They were the most successful bank robbers in US history.
▪ burglar someone who goes into people’s homes in order to steal:
The burglars broke in through a window.
▪ shoplifter someone who takes things from shops without paying for them:
The cameras have helped the store catch several shoplifters.
▪ pickpocket someone who steals things from people’s pockets, especially in a crowd:
A sign warned that pickpockets were active in the station.
▪ conman/fraudster someone who deceives people in order to get money or things:
Conmen tricked the woman into giving them her savings, as an ‘investment’.
▪ forger someone who illegally copies official documents, money, artworks etc:
a forger who fooled museum curators
▪ counterfeiter someone who illegally copies money, official documents, or goods:
Counterfeiters in Colombia are printing almost perfect dollar bills.
▪ pirate someone who illegally copies and sells another person’s work:
DVD pirates
▪ mugger someone who attacks and robs people in public places:
Muggers took his money and mobile phone.
▪ murderer someone who deliberately kills someone else:
His murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
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the murderer of civil rights activist Medgar Evers
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He is a mass murderer (=someone who kills a large number of people) .
▪ serial killer someone who kills several people, one after the other over a period of time, in a similar way:
Shipman was a trusted family doctor who became Britain's worst serial killer.
▪ rapist someone who forces someone else to have sex:
Some rapists drug their victims so that they become unconscious.
▪ sex offender someone who is guilty of a crime related to sex:
Too many sex offenders are released from prison early.
▪ vandal someone who deliberately damages public property:
Vandals broke most of the school’s windows.
▪ arsonist someone who deliberately sets fire to a building:
The warehouse fire may have been the work of an arsonist.