criminologist
UK[ˌkrɪmɪˈnɒlədʒɪst]US[ˌkrɪmɪˈnɑːlədʒɪst]
n
A person who studies crime and criminals as a social science.
Morpheme Breakdown
crimin
olog
ist
crimin
crime
olog
study of
ist
person who does
Etymology
The word 'criminologist' is a modern English formation built from classical components. Its core, 'crimin', derives from the Latin crimen, meaning a judgment, accusation, or offense, which evolved to signify a serious illegal act. This root is combined with '-ology', from Greek -logia, indicating a branch of knowledge or the science of a subject. The final agent suffix '-ist', also of Greek origin via Latin, specifies a practitioner. Thus, the term literally constructs the meaning "a person who practices the scientific study of crime," formally emerging in the 19th century as the systematic analysis of criminal behavior became a distinct academic discipline.
Analysis
Structure: crimin (crime) + olog (study of) + ist (person who does)
crimin: From Latin crimen (accusation, crime). The base form in the word.
olog: A combining form from Greek -logia (denoting a subject of study or interest), via Latin -logia. The connecting vowel 'o' is included.
ist: A suffix from Greek -istēs, via Latin -ista, denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something.
Examples
The criminologist was called to testify about the offender's behavioral patterns.
She is a leading criminologist specializing in cybercrime trends.
His research as a criminologist focuses on the social causes of recidivism.