crime

noun

ˈkrīm 

1

: an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government

especially : a gross violation of law

2

: a grave offense especially against morality

3

: criminal activity

efforts to fight crime

4

: something reprehensible, foolish, or disgraceful

It's a crime to waste good food.

crimeless

ˈkrīm-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• criminality
• lawbreaking
• lawlessness

Choose the Right Synonym for crime

offense, sin, vice, crime, scandal mean a transgression of law.

offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

Examples of crime in a Sentence

She paid dearly for her crimes.

evidence that helped them solve the crime

He was punished for a crime that he didn't commit.

the recent increase in violent crime

Being single is not a crime.

There's no greater crime than forgetting your anniversary.

Recent Examples on the Web

He was released for those crimes on Jan. 17 of this year. —Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2024

Her crimes caught up with her, and her greed — not just for Sweeney but her greed for money. —Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

In Philadelphia, for example, the city council passed a bill last month that will force businesses in one neighborhood to close overnight in an effort to reduce crime and noise issues. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024

Luft was in court every day as prosecutors Sean McGuinness and Michelle Manning presented their case: that Troconis conspired with her boyfriend Fotis Dulos to murder his estranged wife, and then helped to cover up the crime. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024

As federal authorities and Major League Baseball continue to investigate, Bowyer has not been charged with a crime, said his attorney, who declined to comment for this article. —David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024

Garcia-Gutierrez has been charged with over 20 crimes in that time period and is also a gang member, Jones added. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 5 Apr. 2024

Here are some things to know about the recent theft in Los Angeles and the history of such crimes. —Sean Murphy, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024

Speaking with police, Hall acknowledged her crimes. —Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "wrongdoing, sin," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin crīmin-, crīmen "accusation, charge, indictment, source of an accusation, misdeed, offense," probably from crī-, variant stem of cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" + -men, resultative noun suffix (probably originally "decision," then "judicial decision, indictment") — more at certain entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing crime

• commit a crime
• war crime
• organized crime
• crime doesn't pay
• crime scene
• crime against nature
• crime against humanity
• crime wave
• anti-crime
• perfect crime
• hate crime
• white-collar crime
• life of crime
• bias crime
• get tough on crime

Kids Definition

crime

noun

ˈkrīm 

1

: the doing of an act forbidden by law or the failure to do an act required by law especially when serious

2

: criminal activity

the war on crime

3

: an act that is sinful, foolish, or disgraceful

it's a crime to waste good food

Legal Definition

crime

noun

ˈkrīm 

1

: conduct that is prohibited and has a specific punishment (as incarceration or fine) prescribed by public law compare delict, tort

2

: an offense against public law usually excluding a petty violation see also felony, misdemeanor

Note: Crimes in the common-law tradition were originally defined primarily by judicial decision. For the most part, common-law crimes are now codified. There is a general principle “nullum crimen sine lege,” that there can be no crime without a law. A crime generally consists of both conduct, known as the actus reus, and a concurrent state of mind, known as the mens rea.

3

: criminal activity

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin crimen fault, accusation, crime