victimless crime
noun
a legal offense, as prostitution or gambling, to which all participating parties have consented.
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Nearby words
- victa,
- victim,
- victimization,
- victimize,
- victimless,
- victimology,
- victoire,
- victor,
- victor charlie,
- victor emmanuel i
Origin of victimless crime
First recorded in 1960–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
victimless crime
/ (ˈvɪktɪmləs) /
noun
a type of crime, such as insurance fraud, regarded by some people as being excusable because the victim is the state or an organization, rather than an individual
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
victimless crime
A term sometimes used for various acts that are considered crimes under the law but apparently have no victim. One such crime is prostitution, which is viewed by some as a commercial exchange between two consenting adults.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.