criminally

/ˈkrɪmɪnəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkrɪmɪnəli/ (ame, ipa)

criminally — adverb

1. from the point of view of criminal law, especially when deciding whether someone

1.副詞C1
釋義

from the point of view of criminal law, especially when deciding whether someone should face charges, guilt, or punishment for breaking the law.

例句

The company was criminally charged after workers died in the factory fire.

be criminally charged for a death linked to illegal conduct

A court found Omar criminally responsible for hiding the stolen cash.

criminally responsible for an illegal act

同義詞
  • illegally

    broader everyday term for breaking a rule or law; less tied to criminal charges

  • unlawfully

    more formal legal wording; can cover civil as well as criminal violations

  • wrongfully

    focuses on lack of legal or moral justification rather than criminal guilt

反義詞
  • lawfully

    in a way allowed by law

  • legally

    according to the law; broader and less specific to crime

文法句型

be criminally + charged / punished

be criminally + liable / responsible / negligent

act criminally

用法筆記

Most often appears before words like charged, liable, responsible, negligent, and punished. It usually points to criminal-law responsibility, not just the idea that something was a bad decision.

常見錯誤

❌He parked criminally outside the station.
✅He parked illegally outside the station.
💡Use 'criminally' mainly for criminal-law responsibility or for very strong moral criticism, not for ordinary rule-breaking.

2. so badly or offensively that it feels morally shocking, even when no actual crim

2.副詞C1
釋義

so badly or offensively that it feels morally shocking, even when no actual crime is involved.

例句

The plan was criminally unfair to the poorest families in town.

criminally + unfair for strong moral condemnation

The manager was criminally careless about the loose wire near the sink.

criminally + careless

同義詞
  • outrageously

    stresses anger or shock at how bad something is

  • shamefully

    focuses on blame and moral embarrassment

  • scandalously

    suggests behaviour bad enough to cause public outrage

反義詞

文法句型

criminally + unfair / careless / cruel

criminally + low + noun

用法筆記

Usually used for strong blame before negative adjectives such as unfair, careless, cruel, or low. The speaker means that something feels unforgivably bad, not that it has literally become a crime.