前ぜん科か者しゃ

also: ぜんかもの

Meanings

1

ex-convict; former convict; person with a criminal record

Refers to someone who has a prior criminal conviction. Often carries a social stigma; used in legal, news, and everyday contexts.

彼かれは前ぜん科か者しゃだから、就しゅう職しょくが難むずかしい。
He has a criminal record, so finding a job is difficult.
前ぜん科か者しゃの社しゃ会かい復ふっ帰きを支し援えんする団だん体たいがある。
There are organizations that support the reintegration of ex-convicts into society.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Kanji

前in front, before
科department, course, section
者someone, person

Related words

前ぜん科か
前科 means 'previous offense' or 'criminal record' (the abstract record), while 前科者 refers to the person who has that record.
犯はん罪ざい者しゃ
犯罪者 is a general term for 'criminal' or 'offender', not necessarily implying a past conviction, whereas 前科者 specifically means someone with a prior conviction.

Built from

前ぜん科か+者しゃ

Written forms

前科者
- ぜんかしゃ
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
- ぜんかもの
  Alternate reading; less common and may carry a slightly rougher or more colloquial nuance.
ぜんかもの

Etymology

Compound of 前科 (previous offense) + 者 (person). The reading ぜんかもの uses the native reading もの for 者, which is less common in modern standard Japanese.