criminality
C1formal, academic, journalistic
Definition
Meaning
The state or quality of being criminal; activities or behaviours that are illegal and constitute a crime.
A broader concept encompassing the prevalence, nature, and study of crime within a society; can also refer to a perceived tendency toward law-breaking in an individual or group.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
It is an abstract noun referring to the phenomenon or quality of crime, not to a specific criminal act. Often used in sociological, legal, and political discourse.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical in meaning and frequency. Minor differences may exist in collocational preferences within specific legal or sociological traditions.
Connotations
Neutral to negative. Carries strong associations with sociology, criminology, law enforcement, and public policy debates.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English in formal/academic contexts, but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
criminality + of + [noun phrase]criminality + among + [group]criminality + in + [place]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A hotbed of criminality”
- “A life of criminality”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in risk assessment: 'The due diligence report highlighted concerns about financial criminality in the region.'
Academic
Common in sociology, criminology, law: 'The study explores the correlation between economic inequality and rates of criminality.'
Everyday
Less common; 'crime' is preferred. Used in news discussion: 'Residents are worried about the rising criminality in the neighbourhood.'
Technical
Core term in criminology and penology, referring to measurable phenomena and theoretical constructs.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (N/A - 'criminality' is a noun. The related verb is 'criminalise'.)
American English
- (N/A - 'criminality' is a noun. The related verb is 'criminalize'.)
adverb
British English
- (N/A - No direct adverb. 'Criminally' derives from 'criminal', not 'criminality'.)
American English
- (N/A - No direct adverb. 'Criminally' derives from 'criminal', not 'criminality'.)
adjective
British English
- The report analysed criminality trends over the decade.
- Sociologists study criminality rates.
American English
- The task force focused on criminality patterns in the city.
- Criminality statistics were published annually.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The police are working to reduce criminality in the city.
- Criminality is a big problem in some areas.
- The new policy aims to tackle the root causes of criminality among young people.
- A sudden increase in criminality has led to more police patrols.
- The research paper deconstructs the socioeconomic factors underpinning organised criminality.
- His thesis proposes a radical reinterpretation of the concept of criminality in post-industrial societies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CRIMINAL' + 'ITY' = the state of being a criminal or involving crime.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIMINALITY IS A DISEASE (to be eradicated, to spread, to treat), CRIMINALITY IS A WAVE (rising, surging, receding).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation from 'криминальность' as it is a much rarer, more bookish term in Russian. English 'criminality' is standard. 'Преступность' is the closer equivalent.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'criminality' (abstract quality) with 'a crime' (specific act). Incorrect: 'He committed a serious criminality.' Correct: 'He was involved in serious criminality.' / 'He committed a serious crime.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'criminality' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Crime' refers to individual illegal acts (e.g., theft, assault). 'Criminality' is an abstract noun referring to the state, quality, or prevalence of crime as a phenomenon (e.g., 'the criminality of the era').
No, it is generally an uncountable/mass noun. You do not say 'a criminality' or 'criminalities'.
Yes, but it is formal and implies a persistent or inherent quality, e.g., 'His early life showed signs of deep-seated criminality.'
Using it to refer to a single criminal act instead of the general concept. Also, overusing it in everyday conversation where 'crime' would be more natural.