crime

[ krahym ]

noun

1. an action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited.

   Synonyms: felony, tort, misdemeanor, wrong

2. criminal activity and those engaged in it:

   to fight crime.

3. the habitual or frequent commission of crimes:

   a life of crime.

4. any offense, serious wrongdoing, or sin.
5. a foolish, senseless, or shameful act:

   It's a crime to let that beautiful garden go to ruin.

crime

/ kraɪm /

noun

1. an act or omission prohibited and punished by law
2. 1. unlawful acts in general

      a wave of crime

   2. ( as modifier )

      crime wave

3. an evil act
4. informal.
   something to be regretted

   it is a crime that he died young

Other Words From

• crimeless adjective
• crimeless·ness noun
• anti·crime adjective
• super·crime noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crime¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin crīmin-, stem of crīmen “accusation, blame, charge,” akin to cernere “to decide, distinguish, separate,” literally, “to sift” ( discern ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of crime¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin crīmen verdict, accusation, crime

Synonym Study

Crime, offense, sin agree in meaning a breaking of law. Crime usually means any serious violation of human laws: the crime of treason or robbery. Offense is used of an infraction of either human or divine law, and does not necessarily mean a serious one: an offense leading to a jail sentence; an offense against morals. Sin means a breaking of moral or divine law: the sins of greed and lust.

Example Sentences

The president relied on the military, rather than the police, to fight organized crime groups, which are among Mexico’s largest employers.

From Los Angeles Times

His comments this week were his most critical assessment yet of Mexico’s approach to crime and drug trafficking.

From Los Angeles Times

"The police say they don't have the resources to tackle something like this but it's not just petty crime any more - this is organised theft."

From BBC

"The city centre has become lawless and this is where they are getting the brazenness because they know that the systems we have in place with the policing and the control of crime has failed."

From BBC

McDonnell said he would rather see the city’s crime numbers rise because it would give him a real picture of the problem and a better idea of what he must do to handle it.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• atrocity
• breach
• case
• corruption
• evil
• felony
• infraction
• lawlessness
• misconduct
• misdeed
• misdemeanor
• scandal
• transgression
• violation
• wrongdoing