noun
wanted criminal; person on the wanted list
Refers to a person who has been officially designated as wanted by law enforcement, typically through a public notice or warrant.
警察は指名手配人の写真を公開した。
The police released a photo of the wanted criminal.
彼は指名手配人として全国に手配されている。
He is wanted nationwide as a person on the wanted list.
指名手配 is the act of designating someone as wanted or the wanted notice itself, while 指名手配人 refers specifically to the person who is wanted.
Compound of 指名 (designation by name), 手配 (arrangement, search warrant), and 人 (person). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is a modern legal/police compound.