criminale

criminal

adjective noun kree-mee-NAH-leh Less Common

Origin: From Latin criminalis, from crimen (crime, accusation).

Usage Note

Criminale works as both adjective (atto criminale, criminal act) and noun (un criminale, a criminal). As a noun it is invariable by gender: il criminale / la criminale. Do not confuse with penale (penal/criminal in the judicial sense — diritto penale, criminal law) — criminale is more informal and moral in tone, penale more technical.

Examples

"La polizia ha arrestato il criminale."

Natural Translation

The police arrested the criminal.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian Dialects vs Standard Italian: A Guide

Standard Italian works everywhere, so relax: this three-layer guide to Italian dialects vs standard Italian shows what to ignore and what to notice.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Numbers 1 to 100: Count Like a Local

Learn Italian numbers 1 to 100 by mastering 0-20, the tens, and 3 spelling rules so you can generate any number from ventuno to novantanove on demand.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Tu vs Lei: Formal & Informal "You" in Italian

When in doubt, use Lei. Here's exactly when to use tu vs Lei in Italian — the who-to-use-with map, the verb and possessive shifts, and how to switch politely.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read