CRIMINAL LAW

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does criminal law mean? 

• CRIMINAL LAW (noun)
  The noun CRIMINAL LAW has 1 sense:

1. the body of law dealing with crimes and their punishment

  Familiarity information: CRIMINAL LAW used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRIMINAL LAW (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The body of law dealing with crimes and their punishment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("criminal law" is a kind of...):

legal code (a code of laws adopted by a state or nation)

Meronyms (parts of "criminal law"):

Riot Act (a former English law requiring mobs to disperse after a magistrate reads the law to them)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Domain member category:

crime; criminal offence; criminal offense; law-breaking ((criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act)

condemnation; conviction; judgment of conviction; sentence ((criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed)

partial verdict ((criminal law) a finding that the defendant is guilty of some charges but innocent of others)

nolo contendere; non vult ((law) an answer of 'no contest' by a defendant who does not admit guilt but that subjects him to conviction)

insanity plea; plea of insanity ((criminal law) a plea in which the defendant claims innocence due to mental incompetence at the time)

charge; complaint ((criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense)

plea bargain; plea bargaining ((criminal law) a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge)

principal ((criminal law) any person involved in a criminal offense, regardless of whether the person profits from such involvement)

bail; bail bond; bond ((criminal law) money that must be forfeited by the bondsman if an accused person fails to appear in court for trial)

 Context examples 

“It is my duty to warn you that it will be used against you,” cried the inspector, with the magnificent fair play of the British criminal law.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)