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delictivo

criminal

adjective deh-leek-TEE-boh Rare

Origin: From Latin delictum (offense, crime).

Usage Note

Delictivo is a formal legal adjective meaning 'relating to or constituting a crime': conducta delictiva, acto delictivo. It is narrower than criminal (which also describes people) and more formal than ilegal. You will encounter it almost exclusively in legal texts and news reports about crime.

Examples

"La policía investigó la conducta delictiva."

Natural Translation

The police investigated the criminal conduct.

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