felon vs criminal

felon and criminal both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
felon	Yes	No	No	No
criminal	Yes	Yes	No	No

As nouns, felon and criminal are synonyms defined as:

felon and criminal: someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

Other synonyms of felon include crook, malefactor, outlaw.

felon (noun)	criminal (noun)
someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime	someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
a purulent infection at the end of a finger or toe in the area surrounding the nail

felon (adjective)	criminal (adjective)
	guilty of crime or serious offense
	involving or being or having the nature of a crime
	bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure