Criminals

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɹɪmɪnəlz/

Definitions

  1. Individuals who engage in illegal activities | Persons involved in unlawful acts, often in violation of laws | Those who commit crimes against societal rules and regulations
  2. Those who perpetrate acts that are against the law | Individuals who break legal statutes and engage in wrongful behavior | People who are involved in conduct defined as unlawful by society
  3. People who take part in activities that violate legal statutes | Individuals who commit offenses that disrupt social order | Persons engaged in unlawful behaviors that contravene regulations

Etymology: The roots of this word stretch back to Latin, where "criminalis" referred to something pertaining to crime or a crime itself. This Latin term derives from "crimen," meaning accusation or offense. In Roman law, a "crimen" was a charge brought against someone who had violated the law, making it a legal and formal concept tied closely to judicial proceedings. As the Latin term passed into Old French as "criminel," it retained its connection to wrongdoing, specifically those acts considered offenses against law and order. By the late Middle Ages, English began adopting this term, initially as "cryminal" or "crymynal," reflecting the Norman influence on English vocabulary following the conquest of 1066. The meaning gradually narrowed from an adjective describing anything related to crime to a noun identifying a person guilty of such acts. By the 16th century, this term was commonly used to label individuals who committed offenses serious enough to be judged and punished by the state. The plural form simply indicates more than one such individual. Thus, the word evolved from a broad legal descriptor of offenses and their nature to a personal designation for those who break the law. Its journey reflects the growing importance of codified law and social order in medieval and early modern Europe, as well as the linguistic blending that shaped English legal vocabulary.

Synonyms: offenders, lawbreakers, delinquents, wrongdoers, felons

Antonyms: law-abiding citizens, innocents