kriminell

criminal, illegal

adjective kri-mi-NEL Rare

Origin: from Latin criminalis

Usage Note

kriminell describes both people (kriminelle Organisation — criminal organisation) and acts (kriminelles Verhalten — criminal behaviour); colloquially it is used hyperbolically, e.g. Das ist ja kriminell billig! (That's outrageously cheap!).

Examples

"Die Bande war jahrelang kriminell aktiv."

Natural Translation

The gang was criminally active for years.

Literal Translation

The gang was years-long criminally active.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Body Parts: Vocabulary + How to Say It Hurts

Learn German body parts with der/die/das and plurals, plus the two ways to say something hurts: Mir tut der Kopf weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Days, Months & Seasons (am, im & -tag)

Days of the week in German use am, months and seasons use im — plus the -tag pattern, capitalized nouns, and how to build a real sentence with a day.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Du vs. Sie: When to Use Each in German

Use Sie with strangers, elders, and at work; use du with friends, family, kids, and peers. Here's how to pick the right German you every time.

June 5, 2026 6 min read