Resembling, characteristic of, or having some qualities of a criminal; somewhat criminal in nature but not fully criminal.
From criminal + -oid (Greek suffix meaning 'resembling'). Coined in criminology to describe people with criminal tendencies or behavior that falls in a gray area.
Criminologists used this term for people who aren't full-blown criminals but show criminal traits—it's the difference between a hardened con artist and someone who fudges their resume.
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