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

A National Institute of Justice study suggests that undocumented migrants in the US are arrested for violent and drug crimes at less than half the rate of native-born citizens.

From BBC

"It adequately reflects the strong condemnation by the international community for the crimes committed by him and acknowledges the significant harm and suffering caused to the victims," she added.

From BBC

Maybe voters thought prisoners should be made to work as part of their punishment, which would be in keeping with the broader “tough on crime” tilt of this year’s electorate.

From Los Angeles Times

The NCA has highlighted a particular area that is a “crucible” for organised immigration crime: the crossing between Turkey and Bulgaria, which marks the EU’s external frontier.

From BBC

He often used philanthropic work as a cover for his crimes.

From BBC

Related Words

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

About This Word

What is a crime?

A crime is an act or instance that is considered to be against the morals or laws of society, as in Burglary and grand theft auto are crimes.

A person could also be said to have committed a crime against nature or a crime against humanity if they performed especially offensive or taboo acts.

A crime can also mean illegal activity in general or a frequent committing of such activity, as in The superhero was dedicated to fighting crime.

Crime can also mean a repeated or frequent performing of illegal acts, as in The mobsters lived a life of crime. 

And crime can be used more generally to refer to any offense or sin, as in The man swore his neighbor would pay for his crime of letting his dogs waltz through his yard. 

Informally, crime can be used to mean a regrettable thing, as in It is a crime that the musician died so young. 

The word criminal can be used to mean both a person who commits crime as well as an adjective for things related to crime.

Example: Publishing someone’s words as your own is a crime.

Where does crime come from?

The first records of crime come from around 1200. It ultimately comes from the Latin crīmin-, a stem of crīmen, which means “charge” or “crime.” Crime was as much a problem for the ancient Romans as it is for us today.

Crime exists in every society and probably goes back to primitive humans. It is almost always the job of a justice system to prevent crime or punish those responsible for it. Today, in many societies people who commit crimes are fined, imprisoned, or given even harsher punishments.

There is a lot of debate about the best way to handle crime. In popular culture, it’s common to depict societies that have no crime, such as through the use of technology or harsh methods.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to crime?

• crimeless (adjective)
• crimelessness (noun)
• anticrime (adjective)
• supercrime (noun)

What are some synonyms for crime?

• transgression
• felony
• infraction
• lawlessness
• wrongdoing

What are some words that share a root or word element with crime? 

• criminal
• crime against nature
• crime against humanity

What are some words that often get used in discussing crime?

• law
• justice
• illegal
• crook
• thief
• rate

How is crime used in real life?

While the vast majority of people are against crime, people often disagree on what should or shouldn’t be considered a crime.

If you win the Powerball now you pretty much have an obligation to become a superhero. Batman, Iron Man, doesn't matter, fight crime

— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) January 10, 2016

Birmingham-based @ErdingtonRugby crowned Gallacher Rugby Club of the Season. Praised for using rugby to prevent crime and as a tool to offer hot meals to kids who would not otherwise get them.

— Alex Spink (@alexspinkmirror) October 9, 2020

It should be a crime to charge people $1700 a month to rent, with a $600 pet deposit per pet, and a monthly pet fee of $50 per pet.

— Bex 🌈 (@BEXasaurusrexx) October 11, 2020

Try using crime!

Which of the following is a synonym of crime?

A. justice
B. accident
C. felony
D. carelessness