Criminous

/ˈkrɪmɪnəs/ adjective

Definition

Having the nature of crime; wicked, evil, or involving criminal activity.

Etymology

From Latin criminosus (criminal, wicked), derived from crimen. This is an archaic or rare English word that preserved the Latin form rather than modernizing to 'criminal.'

Kelly Says

Criminous is almost never used today because we use 'criminal' instead, but older texts use it like a fancier, more dramatic way of saying 'wickedly unlawful.'

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