crime
Americannoun
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crimes
plural
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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:
Hannah Shvets, who serves on the common council in Ithaca, the home of Cornell, said she would like to see the university transfer all violent crime reporting to Ithaca’s police department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Howe had been a Labour councillor and police and crime commissioner when she was appointed the first future generations commissioner for Wales in 2016, a role she held until she left in 2023.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Calling the police suggests that a person believes they are reporting a crime.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
"In a year we would analyse 1,000-1,500 samples, often in case of paternity or crime scenes," said Mukul Pradhan, chief scientific officer at the National Forensic Science Laboratory.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
They come up with all the cool gadgets that agents use to fight crime.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Roy would use the city attorney’s role as the prosecutor of most misdemeanor crimes to funnel nonviolent offenders into diversion programs, such as mental health treatment or vocational training.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A report accompanying Tuesday’s announcement said that federal and city data show a notable increase in anti-Jewish crimes since the Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The driver had previously been convicted of other crimes in the US in 2014.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Clemency, meaning mercy or leniency, lets the president reduce the punishment for, or even forgive, federal crimes.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
The story of Atreus’ and Thyestes’ crimes and all that followed them is taken from Aeschylus’ Oresteia.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
