habitual offender
Serial law-breaker
A habitual offender is someone who has been convicted of crimes multiple times, establishing a pattern of criminal behavior.
The legal designation typically triggers enhanced sentencing under "three strikes" laws and similar statutes: As a habitual offender, he faced mandatory life imprisonment for the third felony.
The term also applies loosely to repeat violators of any rule: She's a habitual offender when it comes to parking tickets.
Repeat offender by trade
- recidivistHabitual criminal returner
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- convictJailed offender after trial
- lawbreakerOne who commits crimes
delinquent · reoffender · wrongdoer · transgressor · culprit · outlaw · malefactor · miscreant
Impossible to reform
- hardenedMade tough or unfeeling
- unrepentantFeeling no remorse
- irreformableUnable to be reformed
- intractableImpossible to manage
unregenerate · recalcitrant · defiant · unapologetic · institutionalized · revolving door
Persisting over time
- repeatedDone or said again
- inveterateLong-established, unchangeable
- ingrainedFirmly established by habit
- entrenchedFirmly established, resistant to change
deep-seated · long-standing · perpetual · constant · systematic · unrelenting · persistent · compulsive
career criminal
Repeat offender by trade
- recidivistHabitual criminal returner
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- convictJailed offender after trial
lawbreaker · delinquent · reoffender · wrongdoer · transgressor · culprit · outlaw · malefactor · miscreant · parole violator
incorrigible
Impossible to reform
- hardenedMade tough or unfeeling
- unrepentantFeeling no remorse
- irreformableUnable to be reformed
intractable · unregenerate · recalcitrant · defiant · unapologetic · institutionalized · revolving door
chronic
Persisting over time
- repeatedDone or said again
- inveterateLong-established, unchangeable
- ingrainedFirmly established by habit
entrenched · deep-seated · long-standing · perpetual · constant · systematic · unrelenting · persistent · compulsive · pattern
- criminalsmurderer, thief, burglar, criminal, killer
- DUIdrunk tank, implied consent, field sobriety test, breathalyzer, BAC test
- repeat offendersrecidivist, recidivism, career criminal, reoffender, reoffending
- traffic hazardsdrunk driver, speeder, tailgater, red light runner, wrong way driver
- captivesprisoner, captive, inmate, detainee, hostage
- sentencinglife sentence, life sentences, prison sentence, death row, consecutive sentences
habitual offenderpillar of the community
Respected local leader
straight arrow · good citizen · clean record · conformist · civilian
habit, habits, offend, habitual, prohibit, offender, prohibited, prohibition, habitually