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Criminology includes the study of all aspects of crime and law enforcement—criminal psychology, the social setting of crime, prohibition and prevention, investigation and detection, capture and punishment. Thus, many of the people involved—legislators, social workers, probation officers, judges, etc.—could possibly be considered criminologists, though the word usually refers only to scholars and researchers.
Examples of criminology in a Sentence
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Introductory sociology has long been a high-enrollment course that draws students from across majors, often serving as a gateway to fields such as criminology, public health, education and social work.
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Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The no-bill in the 1991 killing of Cynthia Gonzalez comes in a case on which a University of Texas at Arlington criminology class worked with police.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 21, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2026
The 17-year-old has been accepted into the school’s criminology program as part of the class of 2030.
—Essence, 17 Mar. 2026
While studying criminology at Western Kentucky University, Hall worked for the Kentucky court system, travelling to small-town jails to determine if arrestees should be granted pretrial release.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
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Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The no-bill in the 1991 killing of Cynthia Gonzalez comes in a case on which a University of Texas at Arlington criminology class worked with police.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 21, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2026
The 17-year-old has been accepted into the school’s criminology program as part of the class of 2030.
—Essence, 17 Mar. 2026
While studying criminology at Western Kentucky University, Hall worked for the Kentucky court system, travelling to small-town jails to determine if arrestees should be granted pretrial release.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminology
Cite this Entry
“Criminology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminology. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
criminology
noun
crim·i·nol·o·gy
ˌkrim-ə-ˈnäl-ə-jē 
: a scientific study of crime, of criminals, and of their punishment or correction
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
criminology
noun
crim·i·nol·o·gy
ˌkri-mə-ˈnä-lə-jē
: the scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon, of criminals, and of penal treatment
criminologically
adverb
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