Hamartolos identifies persons as marked by sin, and can also describe a sinful generation or sin itself.

The term most often identifies people as sinners, whether as a social designation, a self-description, those called to repentance, or those contrasted with righteous people. It also describes a generation and sin itself as sinful.

1. Marked by sin · dominant

   Most occurrences designate people in clauses about their conduct, status, or treatment: in Luke 5:32 the accusative plural stands in the contrast between the righteous and those called to repentance, while in Luke 18:13 the singular is the tax collector's self-description in his plea for mercy. In John 9:24 the singular is applied to the man under dispute, and in Romans 5:19 the plural occurs where many are appointed sinful; the same description also modifies a generation in Mark 8:38 and sin in Romans 7:13.

   Luke 5:32Luke 18:13John 9:24Romans 5:19Mark 8:38Romans 7:13

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the occurrences, the APB commonly uses “sinners” and related phrases such as “sinful people,” “sinful man,” and “sinful woman.” It also renders the modifying uses with “sinful” in “this adulterous and sinful generation” and “sin might become sinful beyond measure”.