犯罪者|はんざいしゃhanzaisha

1. nouncriminal; culprit
   ベンは犯罪者はんざいしゃだと信しんじられていた。↗

   Ben was believed to be a criminal.

• Synonym犯人はんにんNeutralThe perpetrator of a specific case, as in 「犯人を逮捕」; 「犯罪者」 is the general term for someone who has committed a crime.
• Synonym罪人ざいにんNeutralA person guilty of a crime, and also a sinner in the religious sense; carries a moral overtone.
• Related罪人つみびとNeutralA person guilty of a crime, and also a sinner in the religious sense; carries a moral overtone.
• Related咎人とがにんWrittenWritten, old-fashioned word for an offender, seen in period dramas and literature; in everyday speech use 「犯罪者」 or 「犯人」.
• Related凶漢きょうかんWrittenWritten word for a violent villain, such as a knife-wielding thug; stresses ferocity.
• Related凶徒きょうとWrittenWritten word for mobs and rebels; stresses collective violence.
• Related悪漢あっかんNeutralA scoundrel or villain, met mostly in novels and drama; not a legal term.
• Related下手人げしゅにんWrittenWritten, old-fashioned term for someone who kills with their own hands, common in period dramas; today 「犯人」 is the usual word.
• Related無法者むほうしゃNeutralSomeone who defies law and order, as in 「無法者の町」; stresses lawlessness rather than crime itself.
• Relatedあぶれ者あぶれものNeutralAn idle rogue or good-for-nothing; also used of someone who cannot find work.
• Antonym被害者ひがいしゃNeutralThe victim of a crime — the opposite of the 「犯罪者」 who inflicts harm on others.
• Antonym守法者NeutralA law-abiding person, the opposite of a criminal; not an established term.

Use 「犯罪者」 for criminals in general and 「犯人」 for the perpetrator of a specific case. 「罪人」 adds a moral or religious shade; 「咎人」 and 「下手人」 are old written words for offenders, now mostly in period drama. 「凶漢」, 「凶徒」, 「悪漢」, 「無法者」 and 「あぶれ者」 are villains or lawless types rather than legal terms; the opposites are 「被害者」 and 「守法者」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 罪つみを犯おかした人ひと。