crime
Americannoun
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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
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criminal activity and those engaged in it.
to fight crime.
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the habitual or frequent commission of crimes.
a life of crime.
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any offense, serious wrongdoing, or sin.
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a foolish, senseless, or shameful act.
It's a crime to let that beautiful garden go to ruin.
noun
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an act or omission prohibited and punished by law
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unlawful acts in general
a wave of crime
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( as modifier )
crime wave
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an evil act
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informal something to be regretted
it is a crime that he died young
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of crime
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” ( cf. discern ( def. ))
Explanation
Something that's against the law is a crime. If your friend shoplifts clothes from a store, you'll be disappointed because you know that stealing is a serious crime. A crime is an illegal act that someone can be legally punished for, like damaging someone's property. You can also talk about crime more generally to describe something that's unfair, wrong, and difficult to fix, like the crime of art museums charging high admission prices, making it all but impossible for many families to afford to go often.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There are more than a million Rohingyas living in over-crowded camps in southern Bangladesh, where aid is drying up, there are almost no jobs, and organised crime gangs operate freely.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Among the most popular shows: the crime thriller “I Will Find You,” which had 11.5 million views; and the romantic comedy film “Voicemails for Isabelle,” which garnered 8.6 million views.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
"We can't just watch the crime happen, so we have to work with all the clues we're given to figure out whodunit."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
The titular crime in “The Kidnapping of Arabella” isn’t exactly one of history’s great felonies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
It’s called a crime against humanity because all humans co-own the responsibility never to forget it.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
The pair stood trial in Germany because of the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows prosecutions for alleged war crimes, including genocide, occurring overseas.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Even if people are in the process of committing serious crimes, law enforcement is constitutionally required to do whatever they can to avoid harming them.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Sisters of the Midnight Sun” addresses the ethical dilemmas involved in criminal defense when the crimes are particularly heinous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The practice of encouraging defendants to plead guilty to crimes, rather than affording them the benefit of a full trial, has always carried its risks and downsides.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
