crime against nature

noun

1. Law. sodomy.
2. any act considered to be against the laws or designs of nature or one's religious teachings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crime against nature¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

“This is an absurd crime against nature. It will not only be detrimental to these iconic marine fauna species, but to our fight against the climate crisis,” by seeking to exploit undersea fossil fuels.

From Seattle Times

Over time, the language defining a “crime against nature” changed in some states, oftentimes more clearly targeting same-sex couples.

From New York Times

Her collection “Crime Against Nature” recounts her losing custody of her children after she came out.

From New York Times

Minnie Bruce Pratt, a feminist poet and essayist whose collection “Crime Against Nature,” which mapped her despair, anger and resilience after losing custody of her children when she came out as a lesbian, earned one of poetry’s highest honors and made her a target of hard-right conservatives, died on July 2 near her home in Syracuse, N.Y.

From New York Times

They didn’t know how to find other work, either, because at the time, homosexuality was considered a “crime against nature” in Virginia.

From Washington Post