criminoso

Criminoso is a Portuguese term used as both noun and adjective. As a noun, it refers to a person who commits crimes or who is legally regarded as an offender. As an adjective, it describes acts, behaviors, or people related to crime, as in “ato criminoso” or “comportamento criminoso.” The word often carries a negative judgment in everyday speech and media, though formal legal language favors more precise terms such as réu (defendant) or acusado (accused) when describing a specific legal status.

Etymology and usage context: Criminoso derives from the Latin crimen, with the suffix -oso forming adjectives in Portuguese, yielding a sense of “crime-related” or “full of crime.” It has long been part of the Portuguese lexicon and remains common in both Brazilian and European Portuguese.

Linguistic notes: The feminine form is criminosa. In Brazilian Portuguese, criminoso is widely used to refer to individuals who have committed or are suspected of crimes and can appear in news reporting and everyday speech. In more formal legal contexts, or when precision is required about status or charges, terms like réu, acusado, or investigado may be preferred. The term can carry moral connotations and is less common in strictly neutral legal prose.

Related concepts: crime, criminologia, criminalidade.