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Synonyms

in flagrante delicto

British  
/ ɪn fləˈɡræntɪ dɪˈlɪktəʊ /

adverb

  1. Also: flagrante delictolaw while committing the offence; red-handed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of in flagrante delicto

Latin, literally: with the crime still blazing

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.

Bats’ nocturnal and elusive lifestyle also means scientists rarely have the chance to observe them in flagrante delicto.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 20, 2023

Its owner, May Mamarbachi, was jailed under Bashar al-Assad for forwarding a cartoon of the dictator in flagrante delicto with the prime minister of Lebanon.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2020

The fossils of the bugs, in flagrante delicto, were found in northeastern China.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2013

Even when they involve 14-foot tiger sharks preserved in formaldehyde or pictures of Jeff Koons in flagrante delicto, commercial art gallery exhibitions in New York don’t often draw capacity crowds.

From New York Times • Feb. 16, 2011

The capital itself, too, contains practically a mass of detectives, who keep spying on everybody and one another, always ready to report the evil-doing of others, and often being caught in flagrante delicto themselves.

From Corea or Cho-sen The Land of the Morning Calm by Landor, Arnold Henry Savage