adjective
kriminell
criminal
Damit beschreibt man eine Person oder Handlung, die gegen das Gesetz verstößt und verboten ist.
The German word "kriminell" is an adjective meaning "criminal" or "relating to crime". It stems from the noun "Kriminel" (criminal), which itself is derived from "Krimi" (short for "Kriminalroman" - detective/crime story) and the Latin root "crimen" meaning crime.
Similar words include:
- verbrecherisch (criminal, villainous)
- gesetzeswidrig (illegal)
- rechtswidrig (unlawful)
Difference:
- Kriminell is a broad term describing anything related to or characteristic of crime, often used for people or actions.
- Verbrecherisch typically emphasizes a more moral condemnation (villainous behavior).
- Gesetzeswidrig/rechtswidrig focus specifically on legal illegality, not necessarily implying moral judgment.
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Examples
Das Verhalten war eindeutig kriminell.adjective
The behavior was clearly criminal.
Das Verhalten war kriminell.adjective
The behavior was criminal.
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