criminal

Everyday

1. (noun) A person who has broken the law and done a crime. tree →
2. (adjective) To do with crime or with the law about crime (a criminal act, criminal law). tree →
3. (adjective, informal) Very wrong, wasteful or unfair: «It's criminal to waste all that food.» tree →

In the lessons

In civics, stories, history and safety (police catch criminals). In everyday speech, «criminal» also means shockingly bad or wasteful. Phrases: «a criminal record», «criminal offence», «a dangerous criminal», «criminal damage».

Examples

• The police caught the criminal. tree →
• Stealing is a criminal act. tree →
• He has no criminal record. tree →
• It's criminal to throw away good food! tree →
• The detective tracked down the criminals. tree →
• Spraying graffiti on walls is criminal damage. tree →
• The hardened criminal casts an impatient look at the bright ray. tree →

Note

Countable noun. Related: «crime», «criminally». In maths, crime figures are often compared (falls of a percentage). Being suspected is not the same as being a criminal — a person is innocent until proven guilty.