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offender vs criminal

Both 'offender' and 'criminal' are correct terms, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Offender' is a more general term that can refer to anyone who has committed a crime, while 'criminal' specifically refers to someone who has been convicted of a crime.

Last updated: March 31, 2024 • 565 views

offender

The term 'offender' is correct and commonly used in English to refer to someone who has committed a crime.

Use 'offender' to refer to someone who has committed a crime, regardless of whether they have been convicted or not.

Examples:

  • The offender was caught on camera committing the crime.
  • The police are searching for the offender responsible for the burglary.
  • I'm supervising a high-risk offender.
  • Mr Turner is an habitual offender.
  • Personality type of this offender, somewhere between organised and mad frenzy.
  • Physical limitation could be what attracted the offender to him.
  • We believe that the offender is female.
  • Until now, victimology, M.O., and physical abuse indicated a male offender.
  • You are not a violent offender, Tuvok.
  • We believe these children were abducted by a preferential offender who targets prepubescent boys.
  • Right now the only person she's protecting is the offender.
  • This offender's preferential, Young women mid- to late 20s.
  • This offender has shown no signs of any belief.
  • Everything but that points to an organized offender, An experienced one.
  • We'll find Doyle the way we find any other offender... by studying his behavior.
  • If he's an opportunistic offender, probably not.
  • They gave him dangerous offender status, no chance of parole.
  • Even minor crimes are punishable... by brutally chopping off the offender's hand.
  • wasn't just any minor offender.
  • He's the offender we're looking for.
  • Doesn't sound like the best environment for a violent offender.
  • Identifying the offender will be hard from the DNA samples.

Alternatives:

  • perpetrator
  • wrongdoer
  • lawbreaker
  • culprit
  • delinquent

criminal

The term 'criminal' is correct and commonly used in English to refer to someone who has been convicted of a crime.

Use 'criminal' to specifically refer to someone who has been found guilty of committing a crime.

Examples:

  • The criminal was sentenced to five years in prison.
  • He has a criminal record for theft.
  • There's a criminal offence called wasting police time.
  • Don, you take the Brighton criminal.
  • Jean Yves Tatao is another career criminal.
  • The criminal mind is an enigma.
  • It's suspicious but hardly criminal.
  • Lights Leary is facing serious criminal allegations...
  • Shell companies to shield his criminal activity.
  • Sheriff Andy is programmed with the latest protocols in criminal investigation.
  • ODIN monitors every form of domestic electronic communication for criminal activity.
  • They got his prints from a criminal database.
  • Mr. House faces criminal charges for battery against...
  • Traffic in fresh usual criminal tendencies.
  • Murder victim was a Romanian war criminal.
  • I distinctly told Sir Wilfrid no criminal cases.
  • Jack Donaghy is an economic war criminal.
  • Extremely rare skill set, lifelong criminal.
  • Only I'm not a criminal.
  • My connection is only tertiary, certainly nothing criminal.
  • Whoever tied these was an ordinary criminal.
  • We've long suspected criminal activity at Axe Capital.

Alternatives:

  • convict
  • felon
  • lawbreaker
  • wrongdoer
  • delinquent

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