criminals
Those who offend
Criminals is the plural of criminal—people who have committed crimes or engage in criminal activity.
The word labels rather than describes: once applied, it tends to stick regardless of rehabilitation or circumstance.
The program helps former criminals reenter the workforce.
Career criminals rarely reform.
Used attributively: a criminals' code of silence.
Seize by law
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- verdictOfficial court decision
- guiltyResponsible for wrongdoing
defendant · indictment · plea · warrant · bail · attorney · defense · courtroom
Armed roadside thief
- brigandArmed robber, often rural
- highwaymanMounted thief targeting travelers
- pirateMaritime thief or bootlegger
- fugitiveOne fleeing authorities
desperado · mobster · smuggler · bootlegger · racketeer · mafioso · gangster · outlaw
Having a terrible reputation
- wantedLonged for
- manhuntSearch for a suspect
- mugshotPolice identification photograph
- serialOccurring in ordered succession
prolific · mastermind · kingpin · public enemy · cold case · unsolved · headline · sensational
Scientific crime-scene analysis
- profilingCharacterizing by patterns
- recidivismHabitual return to crime
- deterrencePrevention via threatened consequences
- reformImprove by correcting faults
prevention · deviance · sociology · psychology · motive · investigation · typology · victimology
Confinement for offenders
- inmateConfined facility resident
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
- paroleConditional early release
probation · correctional · penitentiary · cellblock · warden · prisoner · jailbird · detainee
Person who deceives for money
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- scammerOne who defrauds others
- forgerOne who fakes documents
embezzler · counterfeiter · grifter · hustler · charlatan · impostor · pickpocket · burglar
arrest
Seize by law
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- verdictOfficial court decision
guilty · defendant · indictment · plea · warrant · bail · attorney · defense · courtroom · jury
bandit
Armed roadside thief
- brigandArmed robber, often rural
- highwaymanMounted thief targeting travelers
- pirateMaritime thief or bootlegger
fugitive · desperado · mobster · smuggler · bootlegger · racketeer · mafioso · gangster · outlaw · thug
infamous
Having a terrible reputation
serial · prolific · mastermind · kingpin · public enemy · cold case · unsolved · headline · sensational · high-profile
forensics
Scientific crime-scene analysis
- profilingCharacterizing by patterns
- recidivismHabitual return to crime
- deterrencePrevention via threatened consequences
reform · prevention · deviance · sociology · psychology · motive · investigation · typology · victimology · penology
prison
Confinement for offenders
- inmateConfined facility resident
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
parole · probation · correctional · penitentiary · cellblock · warden · prisoner · jailbird · detainee · custody
swindler
Person who deceives for money
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- scammerOne who defrauds others
forger · embezzler · counterfeiter · grifter · hustler · charlatan · impostor · pickpocket · burglar · fence
- lawlessnessanarchy, chaos, disorder, lawbreaking, wrongdoing
- disgracedishonor, disgrace, downfall, stigma, scandal
- tough guystough guys, tough guy, thug, thugs, enforcer
- troublemakerstroublemaker, rascals, delinquents, imps, brats
- prisonersprisoners, inmates, convicts, felons, jailbirds
- bad influenceswrong crowd, peer pressure, bad habits, enablers, manipulators
criminalspolice
Civil law enforcement
law enforcement · cops · police officers · officers · constables
criminalssaints
Canonized religious figures
do-gooders · philanthropists · pillars of the community · heroes · humanitarians
- criminal recordLog of past convictions
- criminal enterpriseOrganized illegal business venture
- criminal chargesFormal accusations of lawbreaking
- Smooth CriminalPolished, unruffled wrongdoer
- criminal justiceState apparatus for prosecuting offenders
- criminal profilingInferring suspect characteristics behaviorally
criminal, criminality, criminally, criminalize, criminalized, criminalization, criminalizing, criminalizes, criminalities