[ad. F. criminalité or med.L. crīminālitās (see Du Cange), f. crīminālis CRIMINAL: see -ITY.] The quality or fact of being criminal.
1611. Cotgr., Criminalité, Criminalitie; a criminal action, case, or cause.
1774. Pennant, Tour Scot. in 1772, 345. From habit it lost all the appearance of criminality.
1869. Lecky, Europ. Mor., I. iii. 474. That doctrine of the criminality of error.
1869. J. Greenwood, 7 Curses Lond., 133. The growth of juvenile criminality.
b. (with pl.) A criminal act or practice.
1849. Stovel, Cannes Necess., Introd. 30. Alleged as a chief point in the criminalities imputed to the Welsh.