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white-collar crime

American  

noun

  1. any of various crimes, as embezzlement, fraud, or stealing office equipment, committed by business or professional people while working at their occupations.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of white-collar crime

First recorded in 1945–50

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:

Corinne Ramey is a reporter covering federal law enforcement and white-collar crime for The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 25, 2026

McIver’s prosecution marks a rare occasion where a lawmaker faces charges for something other than a white-collar crime like fraud or bribery.

From Salon May 24, 2025

And while most experts think a prison sentence is unlikely, the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, has made it known that he takes white-collar crime seriously.

From New York Times May 30, 2024

“The one question I would have is who had authority to execute these wire transfers,” said Peter Grupe, a former FBI agent who ran the bureau’s white-collar crime division in New York.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 27, 2024

It might seem ludicrous to address as large and intractable a problem as white-collar crime through the life of a bagel man.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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