Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
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criminal

adjective · noun US /ˈkrɪmənəl/

bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure

How often you will meet it

Rank 2,726 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 6,101 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.003% of every word in the library.

What it means

adjective

  1. bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure also: condemnable, deplorable, reprehensible, vicious a criminal waste of talenta deplorable act of violence
  2. guilty of crime or serious offense criminal in the sight of God and man
  3. involving or being or having the nature of a crime also: felonious a criminal offensecriminal abuse

noun

  1. someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime also: felon, crook, outlaw, malefactor

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

criminal in real books

Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.

  • I'm a lawyer, and I've had some criminal practice.

    The Abandoned Room · Wadsworth Camp · Chapter 1

  • And this is not all: they talk of entering a criminal complaint.

    Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1

  • It was by this, her least criminal emotion, that Varney led her to the worst of her crimes.

    Lucretia — Volume 06 · Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton · Chapter 1

  • And at the mere word the criminal Northover suddenly fell into his great office chair and shouted with a volleying laughter.

    The Club of Queer Trades · G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton · Chapter 1

  • The pain seems little, and yet the effect to the spectator, and the preparation to the criminal, is very striking and chilling.

    The Mirror of Literature, Amusement — No. 474 · Various · Chapter 1

Nearby in the frequency table

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