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criminatory

criminatory

9.6
Suggesting that someone is guilty or to blame, especially in a legal case
  • adjective
  • /ˈkrɪməˌnɛtəri/
  • Formal
translation icon : incriminatorio
  • She refused to answer questions that could be seen as criminatory towards her coworkers.

Examples

  • The criminatory evidence was presented in court.

  • Any criminatory document must be handled carefully in court proceedings.

  • The witness provided criminatory evidence that led to the suspect's arrest.

  • Her criminatory remarks led to a swift investigation.

  • The prosecutor presented a criminatory argument that suggested the defendant was guilty of the crime.

  • During the investigation, the police discovered criminatory evidence that linked the suspect to the robbery.

  • Her remarks contained a criminatory tone, implying that he was responsible for the miscommunication.

Synonyms

incriminating
vscriminatory
41 7.2

Showing that someone may be guilty of a crime

is broader, applying to guilt suggestions beyond just specific evidence
accusatory
vscriminatory
10 6.3

Showing blame or suggesting someone did something wrong

leans more toward implying legal guilt rather than only a blaming tone
incriminatory
vscriminatory
1 8.6

Making someone look guilty of a crime

is similar but stresses legal or formal context more than general accusation
accusative
vscriminatory
1 8.6

Showing blame toward someone

has a stronger legal focus rather than merely showing blame or suspicion
criminative
vscriminatory
  • Formal
9.9

Suggesting that someone did something wrong

is used especially in legal contexts rather than only everyday blame
accusive
vscriminatory
8.2

Showing blame or saying someone did something wrong

points more specifically to guilt implication in legal or formal settings

Antonyms

2.2

Not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing

exonerative
  • Formal
9.2

To show that someone is not to blame

How Incriminating

damning
49 5.3
criminatory
  • Formal
9.6
suggestive
18 5.2
suspicious
300 2.7
neutral
218 3.6

Surface Forms

criminatory positive

Morphology

criminatory = criminate (semi-transparent) = crimin + atory

The adjective is formed regularly from the verb 'criminate' with the suffix '-atory', but 'criminate' and the suffix are relatively rare, so the relation may not be fully transparent to many learners who only know 'crime' or 'criminal'.

Etymology

The word criminatory comes from the same root as crime, from Latin crimen meaning 'accusation' or 'fault'. So, something criminatory points toward 'guilt' or 'blame', which is why we use it for evidence or actions that suggest someone did wrong.