As a noun, a criminal is a person who has committed a serious crime. As an adjective, criminal describes something related to crime or something very wrong or unfair.
From Latin *crīminālis* “relating to crime,” from *crīmen* “charge, accusation, crime.” It entered English through Old French in legal and religious contexts.
We often say ‘criminal’ as if it’s a permanent identity, but legally it’s just a label for someone who has broken certain laws. What counts as ‘criminal’ can change over time—actions that were once crimes (like certain protests) can later be seen as heroic.
'Criminal' has been applied unevenly across genders, with women sometimes punished more harshly for violating gender norms and men more associated with certain types of crime. Legal systems have also historically criminalized behaviors tied to gender and sexuality.
Avoid using 'criminal' as an essential label; refer to 'people who committed crimes' or 'people convicted of crimes' where possible, and do not assume criminality based on gender.
["person convicted of a crime","offender (context-dependent)"]
Women and gender-diverse people have been criminalized for acts tied to autonomy (e.g., reproductive choices, gender expression), and activists have worked to reform such laws.
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