| 释义 |
criminal, a. and n.|ˈkrɪmɪnəl|
Also 5 crymynalle, -el(l, cryminall, -el, 6–7 criminall.
[a. F. criminel (in Ch. de Roland, 11th c.), ad. L. crīmināl-is of or pertaining to crime; f. crīmen crime. See -al1.]
A. adj.
1. Of the nature of or involving a crime; more generally, of the nature of a grave offence, wicked.
criminal conversation (conversation 3): adultery, in the legal aspect of a trespass against the husband at common law. (Obs. in England since 1857.)
1430Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. xiii, She..a syn committed that was cryminall. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. iii. 16 Pillage..which he had got abroad by purchas criminall. 1611Shakes. Wint. T. iii. ii. 90 No Father owning it (which is indeed More criminall in thee, then it). 1759Johnson Rasselas xxix, Ignorance, when it is voluntary, is criminal. 1768Blackstone Comm. III. 139 Adultery, or criminal conversation with a man's wife. 1817W. Selwyn Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 710 A criminal neglect of duty. 1892F. Pollock On Torts (ed. 3) 210 Against an adulterer the husband had an action at common law, commonly known as an action of criminal conversation. In form it was generally trespass vi et armis, on the theory that ‘a wife is not, as regards her husband, a free agent or separate person’..Actions for criminal conversation were abolished in England on the establishment of the Divorce Court in 1857.
2. a. Relating to crime or its punishment.
1474Caxton Chesse 25 Some causes ben crymynel and somme ben cyuyle. 1590Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons **ij, Good lawes, civil and criminall. 1686J. Sergeant Hist. Monast. Conventions 146 Having under him two Civil-Lieutenants..and one Lieutenant Criminal, with many Judges. 1745Fortunate Orphan 200 She..sent immediately for the Judge Criminal. 1776Gibbon Decl. & F. I. xvi. 390 They no longer possessed the administration of criminal justice. 1846McCulloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) II. 173 The highest court of criminal judicature known to the laws of England is the House of Lords. 1887Lowell Democr. 29 An experienced criminal lawyer.
b. criminal court, a court (first in Scotland) having jurisdiction over criminal prosecutions.
[1597Lawes & Actes Table, s.v. Courtes, All Courtes, Civill and Criminall, suld be fensed at elleven houres before noone.] 1678Mackenzie Laws & Customes 5 The decisions of our Criminal Court..do bind the same or succeeding Judges. 1788Desp. Paris II. 53, I herewith send your Lordship the Resolutions of the Châtelet (one of the Criminal Courts). 1834Act 4–5 Will. IV c. 36 §1, That the Lord Mayor.., the Lord Chancellor.., and all the Judges..shall be and be taken to be the Judges of a Court to be called the ‘Central Criminal Court’. 1910Encycl. Brit. VII. 322/2 Criminal Courts.—(1) The lowest is that of the justice of the peace, sitting..to determine in a summary way certain specified minor offences.
c. criminal code, a system of jurisprudence to be applied in criminal cases.
1788Desp. Paris II. 91 Great offers have been made to the Grand Conseil to induce that Tribunal to recognize the new Criminal Code. 1829Observer 19 Apr. 1/4 It is in vain that we pass measures for modifying the severity of our Criminal Code. 1878Times 18 July 10/3 The Criminal Code.—The course..taken with reference to the Criminal Code Bill, of referring it to a Commission..will give..the assurance of a most acute and careful investigation.
3. a. Guilty of crime or grave offence.
c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xxix. 110 The vntrewe and crymynel tyraunt Alymodes. 16..Rogers (J.), The neglect..renders us criminal in the sight of God. 1644Prynne Moder. Apol. 1 Being..taxed by Master Iames Howell..as criminall of offering him very hard measure. 1726Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 362 If criminal Persons were sent over there, they would find Employment. 1741Watts Improv. Mind i. iv. §14 Let us search our hearts..and enquire how far we are criminal. 1851Hussey Papal Power iii. 144 Criminal clerks had not yet..exemption allowed them from all civil tribunals.
†b. Of beasts: Savage, fierce, malignant. Obs.
c1477Caxton Jason 86 The most terrible and most crymynel dragon. 1481― Myrr. ii. vi. K ij, Bestes..so righte stronge & crymynell that no men dare approche them.
B. n.
†1. A person accused of a crime. Obs.
1634W. Tirwhyt tr. Balzac's Lett. 18 The number of Judges is not much inferiour to that of Criminals. 1681Dryden Sp. Fryar (J.), Was ever criminal forbid to plead?
2. A person guilty or convicted of a crime.
a1626Bacon (J.), Ruined..by justice and sentence, as delinquents and criminals. 1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvii. 157 In the violation of the Law, both the Author, and Actor are Criminalls. 1772Priestley Inst. Relig. (1782) I. 53 Take notice of crimes, and punish the criminals. 1883G. Lloyd Ebb & Flow II. 210 Going with the criminal to execution.
▸ criminal law n. the branch of law concerned with defining crimes and with prosecuting and punishing offenders; the body of law relating to crime; contrasted with civil law n. 3.
1672G. Mackenzie Pleadings xiv. 170 Our *Criminal Law being founded upon the Civil Law, ought in this, as in most other cases, to be squared by it. 1769W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. IV. i. 2 The code of criminal law; or, as it is more usually denominated with us in England, the doctrine of the pleas of the crown. 1883J. F. Stephen Hist. Criminal Law II. xvi. 61 The question to which I refer is, whether the criminal law applies to what have sometimes been described as acts of State? 1952J. Thompson Killer inside Me (1991) xvi. 152 He'd dropped out of politics and stuck to his criminal law practice. 2000Police Feb. 13/2 The skilled police detective..needs an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the criminal law and most especially the law pertaining to the admissibility of evidence.
▸ criminal lawyer n. a lawyer specializing in criminal law.
1753Stewart's Trial 50 The opinion of our great *criminal lawyer Sir George Mackenzie, laid down in the strongest terms. 1887J. R. Lowell Democracy 29 An experienced criminal lawyer. 1991Vanity Fair Sept. 120/1 He might want to think about a more experienced criminal lawyer, since he's facing a murder-one charge.
▸ criminal negligence n. egregious negligence; (Law) negligence which is serious enough to constitute grounds for criminal charges, typically through harming or endangering people or property.
1706W. Beauvoir tr. J. Esprit Disc. on Deceitfulness of Humane Virtues xii. 122 Errors then, that spring from the disorders of Passions, may be avoided, and cannot be plac'd among innocent Errors,..since they are the Effects of a *criminal Negligence. 1836Times 10 Sept. 6/6 The waterman..had acted in an imprudent manner in crossing the bows of the steamer, which they did not think amounted to criminal negligence. 1991T. Zuber et al. Canad. Law (ed. 5) xii. 184 Assume Hudson drives her automobile at 120 km/h on a city street, running through several stop signs and automobile signal lights. This conduct constitutes criminal negligence. 2002N.Y. Times 28 Apr. iv. 14/1 It would be criminal negligence for world diplomacy to miss taking advantage of such a moment. |