Synonyms of criminal
39 similar words
Another word for criminal is illegal. Other synonyms of criminal are unlawful, outlawed, illegitimate, wrongful and illicit.
Synonyms and similar words for criminal
adjectiveAgainst the law; forbidden by law.
- crimefulCriminal; wicked; illegal.
- delictuousTransgressing morality.
- illegalContrary to, forbidden, or not authorized by law, especially criminal law.
- illicitUnlawful.
- illegitimateNot in accordance with the law.
- lawbreakingUnlawful; illegal.
- nonlawfulNot lawful; unlawful.
- outlawedPut beyond the limits of the law, forbidden, against the law.
- unlawfulProhibited; not permitted by law (either civil or criminal law; see illegal).
- wrongfulUnlawful or illegal.
adjectiveGuilty of breaking the law.
- at fault
- culpableMeriting condemnation, censure or blame, especially as something wrong, harmful or injurious; blameworthy, guilty.
- blameworthyDeserving blame or censure; reprehensible.
- censurableDeserving of censure; blameworthy.
- guilty
- reprehensible
- to blameAt fault; blameworthy; responsible (for an error, problem, etc.).
- nocent obsolete
adjectiveAbhorrent or very undesirable.
- detestableStimulating disgust or detestation; offensive; shocking.
- repugnant
nounA person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
- lawbreakerOne who breaks (violates) the law, a criminal.
- offender
- perpetratorOne who perpetrates; especially, one who commits an offence or crime.
- hoodlumA gangster; a hired thug.
- justice-impacted individual
- crookA person who steals, lies, cheats, or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal; a scoundrel, scofflaw...
- committer
- culprit
- delinquent
- desperado
- double-dealerOne who double deals; a cheat or crook.
- felonA person who has committed a felony (“a serious criminal offence”); specifically, one who has been tried and convicted...
- lowlifeAn untrustworthy, despicable, disreputable, or otherwise immoral person, especially one suspected of being a criminal.
- malefactorA criminal or felon.
- malfeasantSomeone guilty of such conduct; a malefactor.
- outlawA criminal who is excluded from normal legal rights; one who can be killed at will without legal penalty.
- public enemyA criminal widely regarded as dangerous or antisocial.
- scofflawA criminal or lawbreaker, especially one who is openly contemptuous or dismissive of current laws or displays...
- undesirableAn undesirable person.
Meaning of criminal
- adjective Against the law; forbidden by law.
- adjective Guilty of breaking the law.
- adjective Of or relating to crime or penal law.
criminal in other languages
Questions about synonyms of criminal
- What is another word for criminal?
- Criminal has 39 synonyms on Word.ws, such as illegal, unlawful, outlawed, illegitimate, wrongful, illicit, lawbreaking and crimeful.
- What does criminal mean?
- Criminal means against the law; forbidden by law.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: criminal (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of criminal.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/criminal. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.