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criminality

criminality

24 5.6
The amount of crime or the number of people who break the law in an area
  • noun
  • /ˌkrɪməˈnælɪti/
translation icon : delincuencia
  • Harboured and funded by people involved in serious criminality, of that I am sure.
  • criminality and corruption
  • criminality and violence
  • criminality and substance abuse

So I've just told you about two decades worth of criminality by Clive Davis.

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Examples

  • The financial services industry seems to have a level of criminality that is somewhat distinctive.

  • Social stratification, criminality, and violence seem so overwhelming that they require deep structural explanation.

    Academic text (1994)
  • But but, yeah, always involved in criminality, always in and out of jail.

  • All right, there was no criminality found.

  • We're really serious about this type of criminality.

  • What is bad is when that kind of criminality is fought by the judicial system.

    Blog text (4)
  • That very serious allegations of criminality were not going to be investigated, that there was going to be no response.

  • Portugal is a country with low criminality and practically no terrorism.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The patterns were there: poverty, abuse, history of criminality in the family, impulsiveness.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In recent years, the rise of gang violence has increased the level of criminality in many neighborhoods.

Synonyms

crime
vscriminality
321 2.0

An action people see as wrong even if it is not illegal

refers specifically to participation in illegal activity rather than moral wrongness
villainy
vscriminality
16 8.1

Very bad actions that hurt other people

focuses on illegal participation rather than moral evil or nastiness
illegality
vscriminality
14 6.7

A state of being against the law

focuses on active involvement in wrongdoing rather than legal status
illegitimacy
vscriminality
  • Formal
4 7.3

Something that the law does not allow

is about active engagement in illegal acts rather than lack of authority
unlawfulness
vscriminality
  • Formal
1 6.8

Not following the law

emphasizes active participation in illegal acts rather than mere breach
miscreancy
vscriminality
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Very bad actions that break the law

is more about legal involvement rather than moral wickedness
criminalism
vscriminality
  • Specialized
9.6

A situation in which many people take part in illegal acts

has identical meaning but is a different word form
criminalness
vscriminality
  • Formal
9.1

Being involved in illegal acts

has identical meaning but is a different word form
feloniousness
vscriminality
  • Specialized
9.9

The degree to which an act is serious and illegal

is broader, covering any illegal involvement not only serious crimes
illicitness
vscriminality
7.9

A state of being illegal or forbidden by law

highlights involvement in illegal activity rather than forbidden status
crookery
vscriminality
9.5

Actions that cheat people to get their money

is broader, covering many illegal activities beyond deceit or fraud

Antonyms

159 3.4

Not guilty of a crime

lawfulness
  • Formal
1 4.7

Being allowed by law

How Criminal

organized crime
  • NSFW
72 3.4
criminality
24 5.6
misconduct
  • Formal
131 4.6
innocence
159 3.4

Surface Forms

criminality singular
criminalities plural

Morphology

criminality = criminal (transparent) = criminal + ity

The word 'criminality' is transparently derived from 'criminal' with the addition of the suffix '-ity' to form a noun indicating the state or quality.

Etymology

Criminality comes from crime ('a bad or illegal act') plus the ending -ity ('state' or 'condition'), and it is related to the word criminal. So, criminality means the 'state of crime'—the presence or amount of crime in a person or place.