What do we call someone who breaks laws, then? We already have other words to designate serious offenders, like "felon" or "convict". And we have offense-specific terms, like "murderer" or "rapist".

The word "criminal" might connote a gravity that offends your sensibilities, but it's accurate. The disconnect arises because modern man sees himself as mostly above the law: Some offenses aren't offenses because (nearly) everyone commits them. We all (hopefully) learn from a young age that this is preposterous: "If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?"

I think you'll find that honoring the actual meaning of words makes communication easier, not harder.