Definition

Noun: A formal, official list or history of a person's previous convictions for criminal offenses. This record is typically maintained by law enforcement or judicial authorities and can be used in legal proceedings, background checks, and sentencing decisions.

Usage

A "criminal record" is a noun phrase. It is used to refer to the documented history of an individual's criminal convictions. * It is often used with verbs like have, get, check, expunge, or seal. * It can be modified by adjectives like clean, extensive, long, or prior.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The job application asked if he had a criminal record.
  • A prior criminal record can influence a judge's sentencing decision.
  • She was worried the minor offense would give her a permanent criminal record.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a record a mile long": An idiom meaning to have an extremely long or extensive criminal history.
  • The prosecutor argued the defendant was a career criminal with a record a mile long.
• "to be on record": To have one's actions or statements officially documented. While not exclusive to crime, it can be used in a legal context.
  • His previous statements are on record with the police.

Variants and Related Words

• Record (n): In a legal context, this is often a shortened, informal form of "criminal record."
  • Does he have a record?
• Rap sheet (n, informal): A slang term for a criminal record.
  • The detective pulled his rap sheet.
• Police record (n): Similar to a criminal record, but may include arrests, charges, or interactions with police that did not lead to a conviction.

Synonyms

• History of convictions: A more formal, descriptive phrase.
• Prior record: Specifically refers to a criminal record that exists before a new legal proceeding.

Related Phrases

• Clean record: Having no criminal convictions.
  • The defendant had a clean record before this incident.
• Expunge a record: To have a criminal record legally erased or sealed.
  • He petitioned the court to expunge his record after ten years.

Noun

1. a list of crimes for which an accused person has been previously convicted
   • he ruled that the criminal record of the defendant could not be disclosed to the court
   • the prostitute had a record a mile long