Criminal
Criminal noun - A person who has committed a crime.
Usage example: car thieves, pickpockets, burglars, and other criminals
Offender is a synonym for criminal in lawbreaker topic. In some cases you can use "Offender" instead the word "Criminal" as a noun or an adjective, when it comes to topics like culprit, perpetrator, juvenile delinquent, person who breaks the law. popular alternative
Offender
Offender noun - A person who has committed a crime.
Usage example: juvenile offenders have their criminal records sealed when they turn 18
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Synonyms for Offender
Criminal is a synonym for offender in perpetrator topic. You can use "Criminal" instead the word "Offender" as a noun or an adjective, if it concerns topics such as wrongdoer, culprit, juvenile delinquent, crimes. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
How words are described
| particular | particular criminal | particular offender |
| common | common criminal | common offender |
| single | single criminal | single offender |
| notorious | notorious criminal | notorious offender |
| Other adjectives: actual, real, violent, great, bad, horrible, potential, young, famous, major, minor, worst, greatest, serial, suspected, worse, convicted. | ||
Both words in one sentence
- There have also been instances where living victims of crimes have committed suicide, regardless of the offender getting punished, or the victims or family members taking revenge on the criminal, thus becoming criminals themselves.
Source: Downer Ending / Live-Action TV - In later episodes, Moe is a serial criminal who actively revolted women (and it's been exaggerated to the point that he's now a registered sex offender).
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Criminal Minds: Any time anyone doubts the legitimacy of offender profiling, particularly when it's the only evidence for an arrest.
Source: Strawman Has a Point
Cite this Source
Offender and Criminal. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/criminal/offender
Criminal & Offender. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/criminal/offender>.
Offender or Criminal. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/criminal/offender.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "criminal" and "offender" have occurred on timeline