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.
Related Words
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
- anticrime adjective
- crimeless adjective
- crimelessness noun
- supercrime noun
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” ( discern ( def. ) )
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.
Jamieson was later extradited to Scotland and has since appeared in court accused of being involved in serious organised crime.
From BBC
She said accountability lies both with the men who commit these crimes, and with those who sit silently and doing nothing about it.
From BBC
It made decent, dedicated officers and staff across the country furious that one of our own could commit such a monstrous crime.
From BBC
He focused instead on attacking the root causes of crime, including poverty and scant opportunities for the young.
From Los Angeles Times
The author is under strict publishers’ orders not to divulge too much about the plot, but says it is similar in genre to “Secret Lives,” and is crime adjacent.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
